bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Protein Interactome Mapping in Rice Using Barcode‐Indexed PCR Coupled with HiFi Long‐Read Sequencing
Authors: Liu Xixi , Xia Dandan , Luo Jinjin , Li Mengyuan , Chen Lijuan , Chen Yiting , Huang Jie , Li Yanan , Xu Huayu , Yuan Yang , Cheng Yu , Li Zhiyong , Li Guanghao , Wang Shiyi , Liu Xinyong , Liu Wanning , Zhang Fengyong , Liu Zhichao , Tong Xiaohong , Hou Yuxuan , Wang Yifeng , Ying Jiezheng , ugli Abdullaev Mirtemir Baxodir , Ergashev Mukhammadjon Arabboevich , Zhang Sanqiang , Yuan Wenya , Xue Dawei , Zhang Jianwei , Zhang Jian
Published: January 2025

Establishing the protein–protein interaction network sheds light on functional genomics studies by providing insights from known counterparts. However, the rice interactome has barely been studied due to the lack of massive, reliable, and cost‐effective methodologies. Here, the development of a barcode‐indexed PCR coupled with HiFi long‐read sequencing pipeline (BIP‐seq) is reported for high throughput Protein Protein Interaction (PPI)identification. BIP‐seq is essentially built on the integration of library versus library Y2H mating strategy to facilitate the efficient acquisition of random PPI colonies, semi‐mechanized dual barcode‐indexed yeast colony PCR for the large‐scale indexed amplification of bait and prey cDNAs, and massive pac‐bio sequencing of PCR amplicon pools. It is demonstrated that BIP‐seq could map over 15 000 high‐confidence (≈62.5% could be verified by Bimolecular fluorescence Complementation (BiFC)) rice PPIs within 2 months, outperforming the other reported methods. In addition, the obtained 23 032 rice PPIs, including 22,665 newly identified PPIs, greatly expanded the current rice PPI dataset, provided a comprehensive overview of the rice PPIs networks, and could be a valuable asset in facilitating functional genomics research in rice.
Photochromic Metal‐Organic Frameworks Based on Host‐Guest Strategy and Different Viologen Derivatives for Organic Amines Sensing and Information Anticounterfeiting
Authors: Li Yi‐Dan , Ma Lu‐Fang , Yang Guo‐Ping , Wang Yao‐Yu
Published: January 2025

The encapsulation of viologen derivatives in metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) to construct host‐guest materials has been widely discussed owing to their distinctive spatial arrangement and physical/chemical properties. Herein, three new photochromic MOFs (NWM‐1–3) have been successfully synthesized by 1,1,2,2‐Tetra(4‐carboxylphenyl)ethylene (H4TCPE) ligand as well as three different viologen derivatives based on host‐guest strategy. Remarkably, NWM‐1–3 exhibit a notable reversible photochromism change from yellow to green under 365 nm UV irradiation. The distance between the electron‐deficient N atom in the viologens and the electron‐rich carboxylate oxygens satisfies the electron transfer (ET) pathway, and thus ET occurs upon irradiation, producing intermolecular viologen radicals. NWM‐1 is able to produce colored responses to different volatile amines by ET and can be recognizable to the naked eye. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) analysis and comparative experiments have demonstrated that the host‐guest strategy significantly enhances the electron‐accepting ability of viologens, thereby achieving superior amine sensing performance. NWM‐2 and 3 have been realized in various applications, such as security code, fingerprint, and QR codes for anticounterfeiting. This work provides new host‐guest strategy for designing highly sensitive photochromic materials and color‐tunable luminescent materials, advancing the development of assembled photochromic materials closer to commercialization.
Aluminadichalcogeniranes and Aluminatrichalcogenetanes: Heavier Analogs of Dioxiranes and Trioxetanes
Authors: Zhang Xin , Kong Lingbing , Liu Liu Leo
Published: January 2025

Dioxiranes and their heavier chalcogen analogs have long been recognized as pivotal reagents and intermediates in synthetic chemistry, while trioxetanes have largely remained theoretical constructs. In this work, we present the synthesis of neutral, isoelectronic aluminum/chalcogen analogs of dioxiranes and trioxetanes, specifically aluminadiselenirane, aluminaditellurirane, aluminatriselenetane, aluminatritelluretane, and a mixed Se/Te analog of aluminatrichalcogenetane. These compounds, featuring strained AlCh2 and AlCh3 ring (Ch=Se, Te), exhibit significant polarization between the aluminum and chalcogen components. Reactivity studies have revealed that both aluminadiselenirane and aluminaditellurirane show pronounced ambiphilic behavior when interacting with proximal substrates, undergoing facile ring‐opening (cyclo)additions. Additionally, the coordination chemistry of aluminatriselenetane with a Lewis acid has been documented. These investigations not only broaden the repertoire of unique main group species but also provide access to heterocyclic structures that present synthetic challenges through conventional methods.
Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry to Probe Sequences in Supramolecular Copolymers
Authors: Przybylski Cédric , Brocorens Patrick , Xerri Laetitia‐Eiko , Perennes Antoine , Gontard Geoffrey , Lazzaroni Roberto , Raynal Matthieu , Bouteiller Laurent
Published: January 2025

The analysis of the microstructure of supramolecular copolymers is difficult because of their dynamic character. Here, benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxamide (BTA) co‐assemblies are analysed by ion mobility – mass spectrometry (IM–MS) to reveal the presence of various sequences. For example, the IM–MS mobilogram for hexamers composed of 4 units from a first monomer and 2 units from a second monomer is a broad distribution due to the presence of 9 possible isomeric sequences, which can be sorted out based on calculated collision cross‐sections. This approach gives unprecedented information on supramolecular copolymer sequences.
Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Deconstruction of Polyolefins: A Strategy to Up‐cycle Waste Polyethylene to Value‐Added Alkene
Authors: Padhi Ganeshdev , Khopade Kishor V. , Moyilla Nageswararao , Rangappa Raghavendrakumar , Chikkali Samir H. , Barsu Nagaraju
Published: January 2025

Synthesis of value‐added products from post‐consumer waste polyolefins is fascinating as well as challenging. Here we report ruthenium‐catalyzed up‐cycling of the polyethylene to long‐chain alkene derivatives. The developed methodology mainly involves two steps i.e., dehydrogenation of polyethylene through hydrogen atom transfer and its metathesis using the HG‐II catalyst. The dehydrogenation of polyethylene using ruthenium catalysis derived up to 3.38 %, of double bonds; with 90 % of the recovered polyolefin material. The obtained unsaturated polyethylene was subjected to cross‐metathesis with ethylene using HG‐II catalytic system. This resulted in the synthesis of predominantly dodecene (C12) derivatives, with 58 % selectivity, along with other derivatives of varying chain lengths. The overall reaction produced terminal and internal olefins in the ratio 1:0.8 respectively. The dehydrogenation of polyethylene and its deconstruction was confirmed by NMR spectroscopy, Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The origin of C12 selectivity has been demonstrated by control experiments. The scope of the methodology was extended to post‐consumer waste polyethylene which gave high conversion to value‐added dodecene derivatives as a major product.
Multi‐Layered Structure as an Efficient Design for Improving Electromagnetic Wave Absorbing Properties of Polypropylene/EVA/Carbon Nanotube Composites
Authors: Sena Adriane , Schmitz Debora P. , Silva Adriana A. , Soares Bluma G.
Published: January 2025

Flexible and lightweight conducting polymer composites for application as electromagnetic wave absorbing (EMWA) materials were prepared by a one‐step melt‐blending procedure using a polypropylene/EVA (50:50 wt%) blend filled with carbon nanotube. The co‐continuous structure and the preferential localization of CNT in the EVA phase and at the interface are responsible for the low percolation threshold (0.02 vol%) and a conductivity of 10−3 S m−1 with 1.5 wt% of CNT. Metal‐backed configuration was used for measuring the electromagnetic attenuation in both X‐ (8–12 GHz) and Ku‐band (12–18 GHz). Samples 3 mm thick were compared with three‐layered structures constituted by three layers of 1 mm each. The best EMWA response in terms of minimum reflection loss (RL) (−35.5 dB) and large effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) (6.6 GHz) was observed for the three‐layered system with the appropriate arrangement. The low cost of polymer components and processing conditions, lightweight, and processability, due to the low amount of CNT, make this system a promising candidate for applications in both civilian and military areas as telecommunication and stealth technology.
Self‐Cleaning of Fluorescent Polyester: Construction of Superhydrophobic Coatings by Surface Microsolubility Particle Semi Embedding Technology
Authors: Zheng Xiong , Zhang Xuzhen , Shi Jiaoxue , Yang Zhichao , Li Shuyang , Zhang Yu , Wang Xiuhua
Published: January 2025

Fluorescent materials are extensively utilized in anti‐counterfeiting and security applications, and surface cleanliness is crucial for preserving their functionality. This study presents a novel hydrophobic fluorescent coating characterized by a morphology in which particles are semi‐embedded and evenly dispersed within the primer. The coating was developed using an innovative method that involves spraying hydrophobic silica onto a microscopically dissolved fluorescent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) primer. The coating demonstrates superior hydrophobicity, with a water contact angle (WCA) of 165.0° ± 5.0° and a sliding angle of 3.0°, as well as an outstanding luminous intensity 541.4 mcd/m2. Due to strong primer and semi‐embedded particle binding, the coating shows good durability. After 80 wear treatment, the hydrophobic properties of the fluorescent coating were largely maintained. After 32 days of exposure to 0.68 W/m2 ultraviolet light, the contact angle decreased from 160.0° to 154.7° (with a sliding angle of 8.0°). In addition, the firmness, transparency, and self‐cleaning function of the coating can be effectively maintained. The coating in this work has solved the inherent problems of functionality, hydrophobicity, and durability in the coating field, and has a wide range of applications including flexible fabrics, road safety field, and building exterior materials.
Provincial Climate Action Index and Its Use for Assessing Dual Carbon Policy of 31 Provinces in China
Authors: Xu Jing , Mei Fengqiao , Lu Chuntian , Zhang Bin , Wang Min
Published: January 2025

Dual carbon goals ushered in a new era of Chinaʼs climate policies. Provinces play a crucial role in translating climate goals into specific, detailed, and implementable policies, and they are key to Chinese commitments to carbon neutrality. We examine dual carbon policies at the provincial level to better understand the new landscape of local mitigation efforts in China. This research develops a Provincial Climate Action Index based on five policy categories: communication and knowledge sharing, planning guidance, mandatory regulations, funding, and governmental resources. We calculate the index scores of 31 Chinese provinces and identify 3 clusters: leaders, followers, and laggards in dual carbon policy, demonstrating both differences and similarities in provincial‐level actions to achieve climate goals. Provinces such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Anhui are pioneering, nearly half of provinces including Shandong and Shanxi, exhibit medium commitments to the goals, while 10 underperforming provinces such as Qinghai and Xizang lag behind.
Recent Eel Decline in a Large Mediterranean Wetland
Authors: Franch Nati , Capdevila Pol , Fanlo Helena , Queral Josep Maria , Clavero Miguel
Published: January 2025

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a critically endangered and declining species. Information from traditional fisheries and a fish monitoring scheme in the Ebro Delta reflect the widely reported eel decline onset in the late 1970s and also a recent, sharp and ongoing decline of similar magnitude (> 80%). This recent trend arises from both fishery and monitoring data, is solidly described by time‐series analyses and agrees with patterns reported in other areas. Decline drivers could be related to emergent invasions and/or to the exploitation of the already depleted eel stock. There is an urgent need to re‐evaluate eel status and associated management strategies.
Surface Sulfurization and Self‐Reconstruction Strategy for Decorating Carbon Nanofibers to Fabricate Sheet‐Like NiCo2S4 Grown on Ni3S2 Electrode for High‐Energy Density Asymmetric Supercapacitor
Authors: Arun T. , Aravinth K. , Balaji Bhargav P. , Govindasamy Mani
Published: January 2025

In this study, transition metal sulfide‐based binder‐free hybrid electrodes were grown in‐situ on Ni foam using hydrothermal method. However, it still remains a challenge for designing a heterostructure with sufficient electroactive sites to improve electrochemical performance. Herein, effects of CNF@NSNCS on Ni foam binder‐free composites were investigated for developing high‐performance, low‐cost supercapacitors. By avoiding the use of additive binding polymers, the purity of the electrodes was enhanced, resulting in excellent electrochemical behavior. The prepared binder‐free CNF@NSNCS composite electrode exhibited an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2739 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g, with superior capacitance retention charge‐discharge cycle stability of 100 % over continuous 14,000 cycles at 10 A/g. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) was assembled using CNF@NSNCS binder‐free composites as the positive electrode and Activated carbon (AC) as the negative electrode. The assembled devices demonstrated superior electrochemical performance, delivering a high energy density of 77.5 Wh/kg at a power density of 748.4 W/kg. This work may contribute to advancing the development of low‐cost, high‐performance energy storage applications for the next generation of portable electronic devices.
Toward Suppressing Hydrogen Evolution with Enhanced Performance for Bi‐Modified NaTi2(PO4)3 Anodes in Aqueous Na‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Cao Fengting , Shan Xiaolong , Wu Jiangtao , Chen Yongxin , Zhou Yang , Wang Wenjun , Zeng Chaoliu
Published: January 2025

Aqueous sodium‐ion batteries (ASIBs) show enormous difficulty to develop appropriate anode materials for their commercialization, mainly owing to the easy occurrence of hydrogen evolution from the decomposition of water at a negative potential with overlapping the operating potential of the anode for the Na+ intercalation/extraction reaction. Here, new anode materials Na1+xBixTi2−x(PO4)3/C (x=0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02) composites are prepared through introducing Bi elements into NaTi2(PO4)3 (NTP, a promising anode material for ASIBs) with a facile sol‐gel method. Thus, it firstly reports that the Bi doping can contribute to the inhibition of hydrogen evolution via regulation the electrode potential for hydrogen evolution at the anode, also accompanying with excellent electrochemical and charge/discharge performances. The full cell constructed by Na0.44MnO2 as cathode and Bi‐modified NTP as anode, exhibits the better cycling performance with a larger capacity retention of about 80.1 % at 2 C‐rate for 800 cycles and 80.2 % at 10 C‐rate for 1400 cycles in contrast with the pristine one (71.2 %, 56.2 %), respectively. Furthermore, the expansion of the charge cut‐off voltage resulted from the inhibition of hydrogen evolution after Bi doping into NTP can finally increase the discharge capacity and energy density of the modified full cell by 21.8 % and 17.3 %, respectively.
Targeting Lung Cancer With Carvacrol‐Triazole‐Arylidene Hydrazide Hybrids: In Vitro and In Silico Cytotoxicity Assessments
Authors: Çakır Furkan , Ateşoğlu Şeyma , Müderrisoğlu Zeynep Ravza , Demirel Firdevs , Akbaş Fahri , Tokalı Feyzi Sinan , Şenol Halil
Published: January 2025

In this study, a series of 16 arylidene hydrazide derivatives (7a–7p), hybridized with the natural product carvacrol, were successfully synthesized starting from anthranilic acid methyl ester. The cytotoxic effects of these compounds were examined against two different cell lines, A549 and BEAS‐2B. Additionally, in silico studies were conducted to investigate the ligand–protein binding modes and their stabilities. Lastly, the predicted absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties were also explored. The compounds’ structures were confirmed through meticulous NMR and MS spectral analyses. Biological assays indicated notable cytotoxic effects against human lung cancer (A549) and non‐tumorigenic lung epithelial (BEAS‐2B) cell lines, with compounds 7j, 7k, and 7l demonstrating high selectivity indices (SIs) and low IC50 values against A549 cells, signifying potent selective anticancer activity. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations identified key binding interactions of these compounds with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and BRAF proteins, emphasizing the importance of residues such as Lys‐745 and Phe‐856 in EGFR and Lys‐483 in BRAF. Stability of these complexes was confirmed through 100 ns MD simulations. ADME analysis revealed favorable pharmacokinetic properties for the prominent compounds, particularly 7k. These results suggest that arylidene hydrazide derivatives, especially 7k, are promising selective anticancer agents with potential for further development.
Defying the Odds: A Case of Successfully Treated Harlequin Ichthyosis in Lebanon
Authors: Hamam Bassel , Saleh Sarah , Yaacoub Miled , Chebbo Houssein , Jalloul Sarah , Karam Karam , Houmani Rima
Published: January 2025

Harlequin ichthyosis is a rare skin disorder affecting newborns characterized by a scaly skin, flexed limbs, ectropium, and eclabium. The overall incidence of HI is 1 in 300,000 births, with approximately only 200 cases reported worldwide. Some studies uncovered a TH17 immune skewing in patients with HI, which is also seen in psoriasis. We herein present a case of a newborn found to have harlequin ichthyosis, whom his mother is known to have psoriasis. The baby was treated with topical antibiotics and retinoid creams. The baby then exhibited smoother skin with less scaling and flatter fissures.
Metal‐Free Electrocatalysts for H2O2 Electrosynthesis: From Sites Identification to Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Process
Authors: Chen Yu , Di Yajing , Zhang Haixing , An Yiming , Miao Jie , Wang Hui , Ji Jing , Li Zhilin , Fujishige Masatsugu , Endo Morinobu , Zhang Zhengping , Wang Feng
Published: January 2025

Carbonaceous materials, especially the metal‐free carbons, have attracted widespread attention owing to their risk‐free nature with metal dissolving during the electrocatalysis process, but their further developments are still hindered by missing a suitable scenario on practical applications. Herein, we demonstrate a successful case of using the oxygen‐containing‐groups‐modified carbons for the H2O2 electrosynthesis and the derivative electrochemical advanced oxidation process. The active sites with the more C─O rather than C═O groups are easily obtained by controlling the temperature and time in the wet chemical treatment. Identified by theoretical calculations and electrochemical testing, the modified carbons with the highest ratio of C─O/C═O groups exhibit high activity with above 90% H2O2 selectivity over the entire potential during 2e‐transfer oxygen reduction reaction, attributing to their enlarged charge delocalization. In addition, the corresponding gas diffusion electrodes with the high‐speed and high‐stability H2O2 electrosynthesis (2.78 µg s−1 cm−2 with the above 80% current efficiency) are applied for the electro‐peroxone process on the simulant and practical phenolic wastewater, where the chemical oxygen demand removal reaches above 90%. The long‐term operation in the harsh electrochemical environment for over 200 h also confirms its great potential for practical electrochemical applications.
Cobalt‐based Photocatalysis: From Fundamental Principles to Applications in the Generation of C−X (X=C, O, N, H, Si) Bond
Authors: Pal Adwitiya , De Soumita , Thakur Arunabha
Published: January 2025

Over the past few decades, the merger of photocatalysis and transition metal‐based catalysis or self‐photoexcitation of transition metals has emerged as a useful tool in organic transformations. In this context, cobalt‐based systems have attracted significant attention as sustainable alternatives to the widely explored platinum group heavy metals (iridium, rhodium, ruthenium) for photocatalytic chemical transformations. This review encompasses the basic types of cobalt‐based homogeneous photocatalytic systems, their working principles, and the recent developments (2018‐2024) in C−X (X=C, N, O, H, Si) bond formations. Noteworthy to mention that cobalt‐based heterogeneous photocatalysis is beyond the scope of the present review. An elaborate presentation on the mechanistic intricacies of cobalt‐based photocatalysis, without any external photocatalyst, and cobalt‐based dual organophotoredox catalysis have been provided in this comprehensive review, excluding the dual‐metal photoredox catalysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only contemporary review encompassing the aforementioned two major types of cobalt‐based photocatalysis, in general synthetic chemistry, covering all types of C−X bond formations spanning a range of the last six years.
Synergistic Effects of Fe3O4/N‐Doped Porous Carbon Nanospheres for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Li Xiaoge , Liu Huixian , Sun Changxiao , Wang Qin‐Chao , Han Jie
Published: January 2025

Designing transition metal oxide (TMO)/porous carbon composite materials for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a promising strategy in high‐performance fuel cell technology. In this study, we used the isolation effect and pore‐creating properties of Zn2+ to fabricate a composite material comprising ultrasmall Fe3O4 particles anchored on hierarchically N‐doped porous carbon nanospheres. This material, referred to as CPZ1.0‐Fe0.1, serves as an efficient ORR electrocatalyst in alkaline fuel cells. CPZ1.0‐Fe0.1 exhibits outstanding ORR catalytic activity with a half‐wave potential of 0.86 V in a 0.1 M KOH solution, surpassing that of the Pt/C catalyst (0.82 V). Furthermore, CPZ1.0‐Fe0.1 exhibited excellent stability with minimal current degradation after 18 h of continuous testing. The superior ORR catalytic performance can be attributed to the synergistic effect between the catalytic sites and the high conductivity of porous carbon. The porous carbon nanospheres effectively address the low conductivity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, while the ultra‐small Fe3O4 nanoparticles anchored on the carbon surface provide efficient catalytic sites for the ORR.
Electrosynthesis of Fluoroalkenes from Alpha‐CF3 and Alpha‐CF2H Benzyl Halides
Authors: He Shiyu , Xu Bo
Published: January 2025

We have developed an efficient synthesis of fluoroalkenes via tandem electrochemical dehalogenation‐elimination protocol. The key step is the generation of carbon anion by electrochemical reductive dehalogenation of alkyl halides. Various gem‐difluoroalkenes and monofluoroalkenes were prepared in moderate to good yields from α‐difluoromethylated/α‐trifluoromethylated benzyl halides.
Modified Oxymethylene Ethers Based on Technical Alcohol Mixtures and their Fuel Properties
Authors: Zaghini Francesconi Victor , Drexler Marius , Zevaco Thomas A. , Arnold Ulrich , Sauer Jörg
Published: January 2025

Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OMDME) have attracted interest as renewably synthesized diesel substitutes with low soot formation and NOx emissions. In order to enable a high compatibility of this new type of fuel in the already existing infrastructure, a modified oxymethylene ether (OME) synthesis based on technical alcohol mixtures, i.e., C4‐based alcohol mixtures of isomers, was evaluated and the new compounds were thoroughly characterized. The synthesized compounds can be used as neat fuel or as blending component for fossil or paraffinic diesel fuels. The modification of OME offers the possibility to adjust desired properties. This versatility could also be used to synthesize compounds for the chemical sector according to its respective requirements, such as applications as solvents, plasticizers, or additives.
Association of mental health treatment receipt with cancer screening among US adults with a history of anxiety or depression
Authors: Baeker Bispo Jordan , Jemal Ahmedin , Islami Farhad
Published: January 2025

Adults with a history of depression or anxiety who lacked mental health treatment in the past year were significantly less likely to be up‐to‐date with breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer than those who received treatment. Concerted efforts to increase mental health treatment receipt among adults with mental illness may reduce disparities in cancer screening and related outcomes in this population.
YOLOv8‐ESW: An Improved Oncomelania hupensis Detection Model
Authors: Wei Changcheng , Fang Juanyan , Xu Zhu , Meng Jinbao , Ye Zenglu , Wang Yipeng , Erdenebold Tumennast
Published: January 2025

Traditional Oncomelania hupensis detection relies on human eye observation, which results in reduced efficiency due to easy fatigue of the human eye and limited individual cognition, an improved YOLOv8 O. hupensis detection algorithm, YOLOv8‐ESW(expectation–maximization attention [EMA], Small Target Detection Layer, and Wise‐IoU), is proposed. The original dataset is augmented using the OpenCV library. To imitate image blur caused by motion jitter, salt and pepper, and Gaussian noise were added to the dataset; to imitate images from different angles captured by the camera in an instant, affine, translation, flip, and other transformations were performed on the original data, resulting in a total of 6000 images after data enhancement. Considering the insufficient feature fusion problem caused by lightweight convolution, We present the expectation–EMA module (E), which innovatively incorporates a coordinate attention mechanism and convolutional layers to introduce a specialized layer for small target detection (S). This design significantly improves the network's ability to synergize information from both superficial and deeper layers, better focusing on small target O. hupensis and occluded O. hupensis. To tackle the challenge of quality imbalance among O. hupensis samples, we employ the Wise‐IoU (WIoU) loss function (W). This approach uses a gradient gain distribution strategy and improves the model convergence speed and regression accuracy. The YOLOv8‐ESW model, with 16.8 million parameters and requiring 98.4 GFLOPS for computations, achieved a mAP of 92.74% when tested on the O. hupensis dataset, marking a 4.09% improvement over the baseline model. Comprehensive testing confirms the enhanced network's efficacy, significantly elevating O. hupensis detection precision, minimizing both missed and false detections, and fulfilling real‐time processing criteria. Compared with the current mainstream models, it has certain advantages in detection accuracy and has reference value for subsequent research in actual detection.
Dynamics of Pyrene Excimer in a Cholesteryl‐Based Supramolecular Host Matrix
Authors: Verma Shubham , Roy Gargee , Doley Nikumoni , Asthana Deepak , Dev Verma Sachin
Published: January 2025

Aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) reduces luminescence and compromises brightness in solid‐state displays, necessitating strategies to mitigate its effects for enhanced performance. This study presents cost‐effective method to mitigate ACQ of pyrene by co‐assembling polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons within low molecular weight gelator. Synthesized from readily available materials – cholesteryl chloroformate and pentaerythritol – in one‐step reaction, gelator incorporates four cholesteryl units, reported to promote robust supramolecular gels in various solvents. Encapsulation of pyrene in a supramolecular host has effectively addressed the challenge of ACQ in the solid‐state. Utilizing steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopic techniques, we probed the excimer formation dynamics across solution, powder, and xerogel phases. Through time‐resolved emission spectra (TRES) and time‐resolved area‐normalized emission spectra (TRANES), we observed the monomer‐to‐excimer transition under various conditions. In solution, this transition occurs in a single step, characterized by a single isoemissive point (~443 nm) observed in TRANES. In powder, two isoemissive points (~445 nm and ~485 nm) were observed, indicating more complex process with an additional relaxed or trap state. The xerogel phase revealed an intricate excimer formation pathway, involving three isoemissive points (~418 nm, ~442 nm, and ~423 nm). These observations suggest multiple intermediate states in monomer‐excimer transition and distinct dynamics in the solid matrix.
Nitrogen Modified Linear Polythiophene Derivatives with Polarized Charge Distribution for Red Light‐Induced Photocatalysis
Authors: Chen Qian , Tian Lin , Ren Wei , Zhang Xirui , Li Guosheng , Wang Sibo , Zhang Guigang , Lan Zhi‐An
Published: January 2025

Elevating the long‐wavelength activation of photocatalysts represents a formidable approach to optimizing sunlight utilization. Polythiophene (PTh), although renowned for its robust light absorption and excellent conductivity, is largely overlooked for its potential as a photocatalyst due to the swift recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Herein, we unveil that the strategic introduction of an aromatic ring containing varying nitrogen content into PTh instigates polarized charge distribution and facilitates the narrowing of the band gap, thereby achieving efficient photocatalytic activities for both hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide generation. Notably, the best sample, PTh‐N2, even demonstrates photocatalytic activity in the red light region (600–700 nm). This study offers a promising avenue for the development of polymer photocatalysts with efficient photocatalytic performance for red light‐induced photocatalysis.
Narrow Dietary Niche With High Overlap Between Snow Leopards and Himalayan Wolves Indicates Potential for Resource Competition in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal
Authors: Lamichhane Sandesh , Shrestha Bikram , Tharu Bhumi Prakash Chaudhary , Koirala Raj Kumar , Bhattarai Bishnu Prasad , Poudel Pratigyan , Adhikari Binaya , Khanal Gopal
Published: January 2025

Understanding species' dietary ecology and interspecific interactions is crucial for multi‐species conservation planning. In Central Asia and the Himalayas, wolves have recolonized snow leopard habitats, raising considerable concern about resource competition between these apex predators. Using micro‐histological analysis of prey species remains (e.g., hair) in their fecal samples, we determined the prey composition, dietary niche breadth, and the extent of diet overlap between these two apex predators in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal. We analyzed 152 scat samples collected along 89 survey transects from April to June 2021. Our findings reveal a significant overlap in their diets (Pianka's index = 0.93), with snow leopard and wolf scats containing the remains of 11 and 10 prey species, respectively. However, the interspecific difference in prey selection was apparent, with significant deviations between observed and expected prey use indicating non‐random prey selection relative to availability: Snow leopards exhibited a higher occurrence of wild prey items in their diet (55.28%), primarily blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) (24.83%), whereas wolves relied predominantly on domestic livestock (67.89%), with goats (Capra hircus) accounting for over one‐fourth of their diet (29.15%). Yaks (Bos grunniens) comprised a significant portion of the biomass consumed by both predators, with higher for wolves (43.68%) than snow leopards (36.47%). Overall, the narrow dietary niche breadth with high overlap indicates potential resource competition between snow leopards and wolves. However, a comprehensive understanding of resource competition will require further study on other axes of niche partitioning, including habitat and time. Nevertheless, the region's low prey richness means that, with increasing human influence, any reduction in wild prey or increase in livestock could intensify competition between snow leopards and wolves, which could have implications for livestock depredation.
Chromosome‐Level Genome Assembly and Whole‐Genome Resequencing Revealed Contrasting Population Genetic Differentiation of Black Bream (Megalobrama skolkovii) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) Allopatric and Sympatric to Its Kin Species
Authors: Ding Ruijin , Yu Dan , Yang Ke , Wu Xinghua , Liu Huanzhang
Published: January 2025

The black bream (Megalobrama skolkovii) is an economically important species widely distributed in China, with its geographic populations potentially having undergone differentiations and local adaptations. In this study, we presented a chromosome‐level genome assembly of this species and investigated genetic differentiations of its populations that are allopatric (the northern one) and sympatric (the Poyang Lake) to its kin species, the blunt‐snout bream (M. amblycephala), using whole genome resequencing analysis. The results showed that the genome size of black bream was 1.13 Gb, very similar to its kin species but larger than its close relatives, the four Chinese major carps. By resequencing individuals from the northern and Poyang Lake populations, we found that the northern population showed lower genetic diversity, larger genetic differentiation, and two sharp historical declines in population size through demographic analysis, indicating the possible bottlenecks after the allopatric isolation. In contrast, the Poyang Lake population, with its higher genetic diversity, higher Tajima's D value, and lower levels of linkage disequilibrium, reflects the ancestral state of black bream. In addition, we also found that the northern population shared more alleles with its kin species, indicating it may retain more ancestral variations. This was further analyzed to be caused by incomplete lineage sorting and ancient introgression. Some key genes related to reproductive processes, body size development, and muscle metabolism were found under selection in the northern population, possibly responsible for its local adaptation. Our findings that the black bream allopatric population had a loss of genetic diversity but retained more ancestral variations can expand our knowledge on population genetic differentiation and give us hints for future genetic conservation.
Strong benefits of hedgerows to bats in three European winegrowing regions
Authors: Chávez Fernanda , Entling Martin H. , Alcalá Herrera Rafael , Benítez Emilio , Möth Stefan , Reiff Jo Marie , Winter Silvia , Rösch Verena
Published: January 2025

Bats provide important ecosystem services as natural predators of, for example, lepidopteran pests. Thus, it is crucial to identify ways to enhance bat populations in agricultural landscapes. It has been shown that high landscape heterogeneity can benefit bat communities in arable fields. However, to date, the relationship between bats and the surrounding landscape within a viticultural matrix has received little attention, despite moths being major pests in viticulture. Here, we investigated how bats respond to different landscape elements in three European regions: Rhineland‐Palatinate (Germany), Burgenland (Austria), and Andalusia (Spain). We recorded bat activity using passive acoustic monitoring for four nights in 94 vineyards in total. Additionally, in Germany, we recorded bat activity along transects from hedgerows up to 120 m into the vineyards to describe the change in activity with hedgerow distance. We found that bat activity decreased with distance from the hedgerow, and the strength of the response was guild‐specific. Bat species adapted to foraging in the open space decreased their activity by half at a distance of 120 m from the hedgerow into the center of the vineyard, while bats adapted to foraging along vegetation (edge‐space bats) and those adapted to feeding within and close to vegetation (narrow‐space bats) decreased their mean flight activity by more than 80% at the same distance. Moreover, the presence of hedgerows between vineyards was positively related to a higher bat activity and feeding rate in all three countries, although this effect varied by functional guild and country. For edge‐space foraging bats, hedgerows had a positive impact in all three countries, while open‐space bats only showed a significant response in Spain. Hedgerows had consistent positive effects on bat activity in vineyards across the three study regions. Our study suggests that hedgerows should be conserved and restored as key elements to support a higher bat activity. This would also benefit other important groups of animals such as bees and birds along with the ecosystem services they provide.
Parasitoid avoidance of intraguild predation drives enemy complementarity in a multi‐trophic ecological network
Authors: Hennessy Andrew B. , Anderson Riley M. , Mitchell Nora , Mooney Kailen A. , Singer Michael S.
Published: January 2025

How consumer diversity determines consumption efficiency is a central issue in ecology. In the context of predation and biological control, this relationship concerns predator diversity and predation efficiency. Reduced predation efficiency can result from different predator taxa eating each other in addition to their common prey (interference due to intraguild predation). By contrast, multiple predator taxa with overlapping but complementary feeding niches can generate increased predation efficiency on their common prey (enemy complementarity). When viewed strictly from an ecological perspective, intraguild predation and enemy complementarity are opposing forces. However, from an evolutionary ecology perspective, predators facing strong intraguild predation may evolve traits that reduce their predation risk, possibly leading to niche complementarity between enemies; thus, selection from intraguild predation may lead to enemy complementarity rather than opposing it. As specialized predators that live in or on their hosts, parasitoids are subjected to intraguild predation from generalist predators that consume the parasitoids' hosts. The degree to which parasitoid–predator interactions are ruled by interference versus enemy complementarity has been debated. Here, we address this issue with field experiments in a forest community consisting of multiple species of trees, herbivorous caterpillars, parasitoids, ants, and birds. Our experiments and analyses found no interference effects, but revealed clear evidence for complementarity between parasitoids and birds (not ants). Parasitism rates by hymenopterans and dipterans were negatively associated with bird predation risk, and the variation in the strength of this negative association suggests that this enemy complementarity was due to parasitoid avoidance of intraguild predation. We further argue that avoidance of intraguild predation by parasitoids and other arthropod predators may explain enigmatic patterns in vertebrate–arthropod–plant food webs in a variety of terrestrial ecosystems.
Root microbes can improve plant tolerance to insect damage: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Tronson Emily , Enders Laramy
Published: January 2025

To limit damage from insect herbivores, plants rely on a blend of defensive mechanisms that includes partnerships with beneficial microbes, particularly those inhabiting roots. While ample evidence exists for microbially mediated resistance responses that directly target insects through changing phytotoxin and volatile profiles, we know surprisingly little about the microbial underpinnings of plant tolerance. Tolerance defenses counteract insect damage via shifts in plant physiology that reallocate resources to fuel compensatory growth, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and reduce oxidative stress. Despite being a powerful mitigator of insect damage, tolerance remains an understudied realm of plant defenses. Here, we propose a novel conceptual framework that can be broadly applied across study systems to characterize microbial impacts on expression of tolerance defenses. We conducted a systematic review of studies quantifying the impact of rhizosphere microbial inoculants on plant tolerance to herbivory based on several measures—biomass, oxidative stress mitigation, or photosynthesis. We identified 40 studies, most of which focused on chewing herbivores (n = 31) and plant growth parameters (e.g., biomass). Next, we performed a meta‐analysis investigating the impact of microbial inoculants on plant tolerance to herbivory, which was measured via differences in plant biomass, and compared across key microbe, insect, and plant traits. Thirty‐five papers comprising 113 observations were included in this meta‐analysis, with effect sizes (Hedges' d) ranging from −4.67 (susceptible) to 18.38 (overcompensation). Overall, microbial inoculants significantly reduce the cost of herbivory via plant growth promotion, with overcompensation and compensation comprising 25% of observations of microbial‐mediated tolerance. The grand mean effect size 0.99 [0.49; 1.49] indicates that the addition of a microbial inoculant increased plant biomass by ~1 SD under herbivore stress, thus improving tolerance. This effect was influenced most by microbial attributes, including functional guild and total soil community diversity. Overall, results highlight the need for additional investigation of microbially mediated plant tolerance, particularly in sap‐feeding insects and across a more comprehensive range of tolerance mechanisms. Such attention would round out our current understanding of anti‐herbivore plant defenses, offer insight into the underlying mechanisms that promote resilience to insect stress, and inform the application of microbial biotechnology to support sustainable agricultural practices.
Niche partitioning in a periphyton metacommunity peaks at intermediate species richness in midsized rivers
Authors: Fuß Thomas , Thuile Bistarelli Lukas , Ptacnik Robert , Singer Gabriel A.
Published: January 2025

The trait‐based partitioning of species plays a critical role in biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships. This niche partitioning drives and depends on community structure, yet this link remains elusive in the context of a metacommunity, where local community assembly is dictated by regional dispersal alongside local environmental conditions. Hence, elucidating the coupling of niche partitioning and community structure needs spatially explicit studies. Such studies are particularly necessary in river networks, where local habitats are highly connected by unidirectional water flow in a spatially complex network structure and frequent disturbance makes community structure strongly dependent on recolonization. Here, we show that taxonomic turnover among periphyton communities colonizing deployed bricks (microhabitats) at multiple sampling sites (local habitats) in a river network came along with a turnover in traits. This niche partitioning showed a hump‐shaped relationship with richness of periphyton communities, which increased along river size. Our observations suggest downstream dispersal along the river network to increase the regional metacommunity pool, which then ensures local colonization by taxa possessing diverse traits allowing them to efficiently partition into environmentally different microhabitats. However, at the most downstream sites, the excessive dispersal of widespread generalists drove mass effects which inflated richness with taxa that co‐occupied several microhabitats and swamped niche partitioning. Further, efficient niche partitioning depended on communities rich in rare taxa, an indication for the importance of specialists. Alarmingly, richness and rare taxa declined with high phosphorus concentrations and conductivity, respectively, two environmental variables which potentially reflected anthropogenic activity.
Priority effects can be explained by competitive traits
Authors: van Steijn Tamara L. H. , Kardol Paul , Jansson Roland , Tjäder Jessica , Sarneel Judith M.
Published: January 2025

Priority effects, the effects of early‐arriving species on late‐arriving species, are caused by niche preemption and/or niche modification. The strength of priority effects can be determined by the extent of niche preemption and/or modification by the early‐arriving species; however, the strength of priority effects may also be influenced by the late‐arriving species, as some species may be better adapted to deal with niche preemption and/or modification. Therefore, some combinations of species will likely lead to stronger priority effects than others. We tested priority effects for all pairwise combinations of 15 plant species, including grasses, legumes, and nonleguminous forbs, by comparing simultaneous and sequential arrival orders in a 10‐week‐long, controlled, pot experiment. We did this by using the competitive effect and response framework, quantifying the ability to suppress a neighbor as the competitive effect and the ability to tolerate a neighbor as the competitive response. We found that when arriving simultaneously, species that caused strong competitive effects also had weaker competitive responses. When arriving sequentially, species that caused strong priority effects when arriving early also had weaker responses to priority effects when arriving late. Among plant functional groups, legumes had the weakest response to priority effects. We also measured plant functional traits related to the plant economic spectrum, which were combined into a principal components analysis (PCA) where the first axis represented a conservative‐to‐acquisitive trait gradient. Using the PCA species scores, we showed that both the traits of the focal and the neighboring species determined the outcome of competition. Trait dissimilarities between the focal and neighboring species were more important when species arrived sequentially than when species arrived simultaneously. Specifically, priority effects only became weaker when the late‐arriving species was more acquisitive than the early‐arriving species. Together, our findings show that traits and specifically the interaction of traits between species are more important in determining competition outcomes when species arrive sequentially (i.e., with priority effects present) than when arriving simultaneously.
Stability and Shelf‐Life Modeling of Lemongrass Essential Oil‐in‐Water Nanoemulsions
Authors: Rabbani Ahmad , Srikumar Shabarinath , Niroula Anuj , Khan Muhammad Kashif Iqbal , Nazir Akmal
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the stability and shelf life of lemongrass essential oil‐in‐water (LGEO/W) nanoemulsions, a rich source of bioactive compounds (e.g., citral and citronellal) and a promising natural preservative. Initially, LGEO/W emulsions were produced through premix membrane emulsification (PME) and traditional methods such as high‐pressure homogenization (HPH) and ultrasonication (US) to generate micron‐ and nano‐sized emulsions. Subsequent investigations focused on assessing the stability of nanoemulsions under various storage temperatures, employing a range of physicochemical and antimicrobial tests. Results revealed that neither the emulsification technique nor emulsion droplet size (in the range of 0.1 to 10 µm) affected the antioxidative or antimicrobial properties of LGEO/W emulsions. Additionally, a combined approach of principal component analysis and traditional reaction kinetics was employed to examine the decline in antioxidative activity of PME‐generated nanoemulsions, to model the quality degradation kinetics over time under various storage temperatures. These findings offer valuable insights into the production, stability, and application of LGEO/W nanoemulsions, highlighting their potential as effective natural preservatives.