bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aspects Of Criminal Law Against Child Predators in Malaysia
Authors: Sabarudding Ilham
Published: December 2023

The topic of criminal law against child predators in Malaysia provide an overview of the research question and objectives of the study. Review the existing research on criminal law against child predators in Malaysia, including relevant laws and policies, challenges and successes in enforcing these laws, and perspectives of stakeholders such as law enforcement officials, social workers, and community members. Describe the qualitative research methods used in the study, including the sample size and selection criteria, data collection methods (e.g. interviews, focus groups), and data analysis techniques. Present the findings of the study, including quotes and insights from participants, and discuss any themes or patterns that emerged. Interpret the results in the context of the literature review and discuss the implications of the findings for criminal law against child predators in Malaysia. Summarize the main points of the study and suggest directions for future research.
Analysis of Modernization Theory in the Perspective of Rostow's Economic Growth Theory
Authors: Thaha Rasyid , Karunia Galib Wahyu
Published: December 2023

This study aims to find out the theory of modernization which is the reference for developed and developing countries, in this case the five stages of Rostow development. This research is qualitative research with the analytical method used is Critical Discourse Analysis which assumes that all objects and actions are full of meaning in particular, and each discourse shows the social and political construction of the observed object. The step of the researcher's role is to present the problem, collect historical data, extract a collection of meanings to be restated in the form of an analysis of the results of a literature/conceptual review. The results of this study describe the five stages of Rostow's theory of economic growth, namely traditional society, prerequisites for take-off, take-off, towards maturity, a period of high consumption where the purpose of this theory is to achieve prosperity. But modernization has its drawbacks as a new type of colonialism where developing countries want to be equal to developed countries must depend on these countries and then problems will occur, namely poverty at the same time, the economic growth that has been proclaimed will not materialize.
A neural network model of hippocampal contributions to category learning
Authors: Sučević Jelena , Schapiro Anna C
Published: December 2023

In addition to its critical role in encoding individual episodes, the hippocampus is capable of extracting regularities across experiences. This ability is central to category learning, and a growing literature indicates that the hippocampus indeed makes important contributions to this form of learning. Using a neural network model that mirrors the anatomy of the hippocampus, we investigated the mechanisms by which the hippocampus may support novel category learning. We simulated three category learning paradigms and evaluated the network’s ability to categorize and recognize specific exemplars in each. We found that the trisynaptic pathway within the hippocampus—connecting entorhinal cortex to dentate gyrus, CA3, and CA1—was critical for remembering exemplar-specific information, reflecting the rapid binding and pattern separation capabilities of this circuit. The monosynaptic pathway from entorhinal cortex to CA1, in contrast, specialized in detecting the regularities that define category structure across exemplars, supported by the use of distributed representations and a relatively slower learning rate. Together, the simulations provide an account of how the hippocampus and its constituent pathways support novel category learning.
OpenApePose, a database of annotated ape photographs for pose estimation
Authors: Desai Nisarg , Bala Praneet , Richardson Rebecca , Raper Jessica , Zimmermann Jan , Hayden Benjamin
Published: December 2023

Because of their close relationship with humans, non-human apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons, including siamangs) are of great scientific interest. The goal of understanding their complex behavior would be greatly advanced by the ability to perform video-based pose tracking. Tracking, however, requires high-quality annotated datasets of ape photographs. Here we present OpenApePose, a new public dataset of 71,868 photographs, annotated with 16 body landmarks of six ape species in naturalistic contexts. We show that a standard deep net (HRNet-W48) trained on ape photos can reliably track out-of-sample ape photos better than networks trained on monkeys (specifically, the OpenMonkeyPose dataset) and on humans (COCO) can. This trained network can track apes almost as well as the other networks can track their respective taxa, and models trained without one of the six ape species can track the held-out species better than the monkey and human models can. Ultimately, the results of our analyses highlight the importance of large, specialized databases for animal tracking systems and confirm the utility of our new ape database.
A positive feedback loop between ZEB2 and ACSL4 regulates lipid metabolism to promote breast cancer metastasis
Authors: Lin Jiamin , Zhang Pingping , Liu Wei , Liu Guorong , Zhang Juan , Yan Min , Duan Yuyou , Yang Na
Published: December 2023

Lipid metabolism plays a critical role in cancer metastasis. However, the mechanisms through which metastatic genes regulate lipid metabolism remain unclear. Here, we describe a new oncogenic–metabolic feedback loop between the epithelial–mesenchymal transition transcription factor ZEB2 and the key lipid enzyme ACSL4 (long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4), resulting in enhanced cellular lipid storage and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) to drive breast cancer metastasis. Functionally, depletion of ZEB2 or ACSL4 significantly reduced lipid droplets (LDs) abundance and cell migration. ACSL4 overexpression rescued the invasive capabilities of the ZEB2 knockdown cells, suggesting that ACSL4 is crucial for ZEB2-mediated metastasis. Mechanistically, ZEB2-activated ACSL4 expression by directly binding to the ACSL4 promoter. ACSL4 binds to and stabilizes ZEB2 by reducing ZEB2 ubiquitination. Notably, ACSL4 not only promotes the intracellular lipogenesis and LDs accumulation but also enhances FAO and adenosine triphosphate production by upregulating the FAO rate-limiting enzyme CPT1A (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 isoform A). Finally, we demonstrated that ACSL4 knockdown significantly reduced metastatic lung nodes in vivo. In conclusion, we reveal a novel positive regulatory loop between ZEB2 and ACSL4, which promotes LDs storage to meet the energy needs of breast cancer metastasis, and identify the ZEB2–ACSL4 signaling axis as an attractive therapeutic target for overcoming breast cancer metastasis.
A computationally informed comparison between the strategies of rodents and humans in visual object recognition
Authors: Schnell Anna Elisabeth , Leemans Maarten , Vinken Kasper , Op de Beeck Hans
Published: December 2023

Many species are able to recognize objects, but it has been proven difficult to pinpoint and compare how different species solve this task. Recent research suggested to combine computational and animal modelling in order to obtain a more systematic understanding of task complexity and compare strategies between species. In this study, we created a large multidimensional stimulus set and designed a visual discrimination task partially based upon modelling with a convolutional deep neural network (CNN). Experiments included rats (N = 11; 1115 daily sessions in total for all rats together) and humans (N = 45). Each species was able to master the task and generalize to a variety of new images. Nevertheless, rats and humans showed very little convergence in terms of which object pairs were associated with high and low performance, suggesting the use of different strategies. There was an interaction between species and whether stimulus pairs favoured early or late processing in a CNN. A direct comparison with CNN representations and visual feature analyses revealed that rat performance was best captured by late convolutional layers and partially by visual features such as brightness and pixel-level similarity, while human performance related more to the higher-up fully connected layers. These findings highlight the additional value of using a computational approach for the design of object recognition tasks. Overall, this computationally informed investigation of object recognition behaviour reveals a strong discrepancy in strategies between rodent and human vision.
Exploring the K+ binding site and its coupling to transport in the neurotransmitter:sodium symporter LeuT
Authors: Schmidt Solveig G. , Nygaard Andreas , Mindell Joseph A. , Loland Claus J.
Published: December 2023

The neurotransmitter:sodium symporters (NSSs) are secondary active transporters that couple the reuptake of substrate to the symport of one or two sodium ions. One bound Na
+
(Na1) contributes to the substrate binding, while the other Na
+
(Na2) is thought to be involved in the conformational transition of the NSS. Two NSS members, the serotonin transporter (SERT) and the
Drosophila
dopamine transporter (dDAT), also couple substrate uptake to the antiport of K
+
by a largely undefined mechanism. We have previously shown that the bacterial NSS homologue, LeuT, also binds K
+
, and could therefore serve as a model protein for the exploration of K
+
binding in NSS proteins. Here, we characterize the impact of K
+
on substrate affinity and transport as well as on LeuT conformational equilibrium states. Both radioligand binding assays and transition metal ion FRET (tmFRET) yielded similar K
+
affinities for LeuT. K
+
binding was specific and saturable. LeuT reconstituted into proteoliposomes showed that intra-vesicular K
+
dose-dependently increased the transport velocity of [
3
H]alanine, whereas extra-vesicular K
+
had no apparent effect. K
+
-binding induced a LeuT conformation distinct from the Na
+
- and substrate-bound conformation. Conservative mutations of the Na1 site residues affected the binding of Na
+
and K
+
to different degrees. The Na1 site mutation N27Q caused a >10-fold decrease in K
+
affinity but at the same time a ∼3-fold increase in Na
+
affinity. Together, the results suggest that K
+
-binding to LeuT modulates substrate transport and that the K
+
affinity and selectivity for LeuT is sensitive to mutations in the Na1 site, pointing toward the Na1 site as a candidate site for facilitating the interaction with K
+
in some NNSs.
Mitochondrial temperature homeostasis resists external metabolic stresses
Authors: Terzioglu Mügen , Veeroja Kristo , Montonen Toni , Ihalainen Teemu O , Salminen Tiina S , Bénit Paule , Rustin Pierre , Chang Young-Tae , Nagai Takeharu , Jacobs Howard T
Published: December 2023

Based on studies with a fluorescent reporter dye, Mito Thermo Yellow (MTY), and the genetically encoded gTEMP ratiometric fluorescent temperature indicator targeted to mitochondria, the temperature of active mitochondria in four mammalian and one insect cell line was estimated to be up to 15°C above that of the external environment to which the cells were exposed. High mitochondrial temperature was maintained in the face of a variety of metabolic stresses, including substrate starvation or modification, decreased ATP demand due to inhibition of cytosolic protein synthesis, inhibition of the mitochondrial adenine nucleotide transporter and, if an auxiliary pathway for electron transfer was available via the alternative oxidase, even respiratory poisons acting downstream of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complex I. We propose that the high temperature of active mitochondria is an inescapable consequence of the biochemistry of OXPHOS and is homeostatically maintained as a primary feature of mitochondrial metabolism.
Brain state and cortical layer-specific mechanisms underlying perception at threshold
Authors: Morton Mitchell P. , Denagamage Sachira , Blume Isabel J. , Reynolds John H. , Jadi Monika P. , Nandy Anirvan S.
Published: December 2023

Identical stimuli can be perceived or go unnoticed across successive presentations, producing divergent behavioral outcomes despite similarities in sensory input. We sought to understand how fluctuations in behavioral state and in cortical layer and cell-class specific neural activity underlie this perceptual variability. We analyzed physiological measurements of state and laminar electrophysiological activity in visual area V4 while monkeys were rewarded for correctly reporting a stimulus change at perceptual threshold. We find that hit trials are characterized by a behavioral state with increased arousal and improved eye position stability. During hit trials, target stimuli evoke stronger responses in V4, and excitatory neurons in the superficial layers, the primary feed-forward output of the cortical column, exhibit lower variability. Hit trials are characterized by greater synchrony between the output layers of the cortex during spontaneous activity, while the stimulus evoked period shows elevated synchrony in the feed-forward pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that a state of elevated arousal and stable retinal images allow enhanced processing of sensory stimuli, which contributes to hits at perceptual threshold.
Whole-brain in situ mapping of neuronal activation in Drosophila during social behaviors and optogenetic stimulation
Authors: Watanabe Kiichi , Chiu Hui , Anderson David J
Published: December 2023

Monitoring neuronal activity at single-cell resolution in freely moving Drosophila engaged in social behaviors is challenging because of their small size and lack of transparency. Extant methods, such as Flyception, are highly invasive. Whole-brain calcium imaging in head-fixed, walking flies is feasible but the animals cannot perform the consummatory phases of social behaviors like aggression or mating under these conditions. This has left open the fundamental question of whether neurons identified as functionally important for such behaviors using loss- or gain-of-function screens are actually active during the natural performance of such behaviors, and if so during which phase(s). Here, we perform brain-wide mapping of active cells expressing the Immediate Early Gene hr38 using a high-sensitivity/low background fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) amplification method called HCR-3.0. Using double-labeling for hr38 mRNA and for GFP, we describe the activity of several classes of aggression-promoting neurons during courtship and aggression, including P1a cells, an intensively studied population of male-specific interneurons. Using HI-FISH in combination with optogenetic activation of aggression-promoting neurons (opto-HI-FISH), we identify candidate downstream functional targets of these cells in a brain-wide, unbiased manner. Finally, we compare the activity of P1a neurons during sequential performance of courtship and aggression, using intronic vs. exonic hr38 probes to differentiate newly synthesized nuclear transcripts from cytoplasmic transcripts synthesized at an earlier time. These data provide evidence suggesting that different subsets of P1a neurons may be active during courtship vs. aggression. HI-FISH and associated methods may help to fill an important lacuna in the armamentarium of tools for neural circuit analysis in Drosophila.
A lightweight segmentation network for endoscopic surgical instruments based on edge refinement and efficient self-attention
Authors: Zhou Mengyu , Han Xiaoxiang , Liu Zhoujin , Chen Yitong , Sun Liping
Published: December 2023

In robot-assisted surgical systems, surgical instrument segmentation is a critical task that provides important information for surgeons to make informed decisions and ensure surgical safety. However, current mainstream models often lack precise segmentation edges and suffer from an excess of parameters, rendering their deployment challenging. To address these issues, this article proposes a lightweight semantic segmentation model based on edge refinement and efficient self-attention. The proposed model utilizes a lightweight densely connected network for feature extraction, which is able to extract high-quality semantic information with fewer parameters. The decoder combines a feature pyramid module with an efficient criss-cross self-attention module. This fusion integrates multi-scale data, strengthens focus on surgical instrument details, and enhances edge segmentation accuracy. To train and evaluate the proposed model, the authors developed a private dataset of endoscopic surgical instruments. It containing 1,406 images for training, 469 images for validation and 469 images for testing. The proposed model performs well on this dataset with only 466 K parameters, achieving a mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 97.11%. In addition, the model was trained on public datasets Kvasir-instrument and Endovis2017. Excellent results of 93.24% and 95.83% were achieved on the indicator mIoU, respectively. The superiority and effectiveness of the method are proved. Experimental results show that the proposed model has lower parameters and higher accuracy than other state-of-the-art models. The proposed model thus lays the foundation for further research in the field of surgical instrument segmentation.
Composite environmental indices—a case of rickety rankings
Authors: Stevens Shelley M. , Joy Michael K. , Abrahamse Wokje , Milfont Taciano L. , Petherick Lynda M.
Published: December 2023

Composite indices have been widely used to rank the environmental performance of nations. Such environmental indices can be useful in communicating complex information as a single value and have the potential to generate political and media awareness of environmental issues. However, poorly constructed, or poorly communicated indices, can hinder efforts to identify environmental failings, and there are considerable differences in rank among existing environmental indices. Here, we provide a review of the conceptual frameworks and methodological choices used for existing environmental indices to enhance our understanding of their accuracy and applicability. In the present study, we review existing global indices according to their conceptual framework (objectives of the index and set of indicators included) and methodological choices made in their construction (e.g., weighting and aggregation). We examine how differences in conceptual frameworks and methodology may yield a more, or less, optimistic view of a country’s environment. Our results indicate that (1) multidimensional environmental indices with indicators related to human health and welfare or policy are positively correlated; (2) environment-only indices are positively correlated with one another or are not correlated at all; (3) multidimensional indices and environment-only indices are negatively correlated with each other or are not correlated at all. This indicates that the conceptual frameworks and indicators included may influence a country’s rank among different environmental indices. Our results highlight that, when choosing an existing environmental index—or developing a new one—it is important to assess whether the conceptual framework (and associated indicators) and methodological choices are appropriate for the phenomenon being measured and reported on. This is important because the inclusion of confounding indicators in environmental indices may provide a misleading view of the quality of a country’s environment.
El jardín perverso, o William Blake contra la religión
Authors: Aranguiz Kahn Luis
Published: December 2023

En el siglo XVIII Inglaterra vio nacer a quien posteriormente sería uno de los poetas más renombrados de su tradición literaria. Nos referimos a William Blake (1757-1827). Blake se destacó no sólo por la escritura de lo que se ha denominado poesía visionaria, sino porque además practicó las artes del grabado y la pintura. El ejercicio de estas tres áreas estaba en directa relación con un profundo misticismo que quedó impregnado en su obra.
To a neighbour I am getting to know
Authors: Onell Roberto
Published: December 2023

Valley, negotiating the Coastal Range and its pleasant, small valleys, the sea imminent,and there it is –blue, throbbing, always foreign, always impressive.
Correo Electrónico entre Eduardo Oso y Sancho Panza
Authors: Katz Montiel Marco
Published: December 2023

¡Qué de milagros falsos fingen en ellas, qué de cosas apócrifas y mal entendidas, atribuyendo a un santo los milagros de otro! Y aun en las humanas se atreven a hacer milagros, sin más respeto ni consideración que parecerles que allí estará bien el tal milagro y apariencia.
The Mind against the Hours: Bergsonian Conception of Time in Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
Authors: Lorca Paulo
Published: December 2023

The article presents an analysis of Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf in the light of Henri Bergson’s theory of time, as presented specifically in Time and Free Will and Matter and Memory. The discussion focuses around the modernist concern about the struggle between the time of the mind and the time of the clock, and remarks on the importance of Bergson's theory to elucidate the actual resolution of this tension within the narrative.
“Whatever exists without my knowledge exists without my consent”: Solipsism versus Free Will in Blood Meridian.
Authors: Muñoz Felipe
Published: December 2023

Blood Meridian has been called one of the greatest novels of the English language, in no small part due to its unapologetic representation of violence to explore a collage of thematic mainstays of western literature. For all its importance, however, its purposefully muddy, cryptic narrative has prevented analyses of the same from avoiding heavy-handed, nihilistic readings of the work. In these analyses, the subject of free will and the rhetorical trappings of the Judge are usually glossed over—free will usually misunderstood as irrelevant for pessimistic, materialist narratives. In this paper, I submit that such a reading—common as it is—is misguided, given the theoretical cues present in the work. I analyse these cues under the framework of their most representative advocates—Thomas Hobbes and David Hume—and bring their understanding to what the work is conveying about these matters. This analysis concludes that the work is very concerned about free will and, indeed, underscores its importance throughout, even characterizing the main conflict of the work in a way only consistent with those terms. Finally, this paper argues that the world presented in Blood Meridian is, then, not as bleak or defeatingly nihilistic as a superficial reading of the work would suggest.
Aflatoxins Contamination in Animal Feeds and Fresh Milk in Kondoa District, Tanzania
Authors: Robert Onesmo A. , Nyamete Frida A. , Kabululu Mwemezi L. , Ngungulu Alex W.
Published: December 2023

Abstract: The occurrence of aflatoxins in animal feeds and milk is common around the World as most livestock keepers are not aware of aflatoxins.

Aims: This study was conducted to assess storage and feeding practices, and assessment of aflatoxin B1 and M1 contamination in animal feeds and fresh milk samples in Kondoa.

Study Design: The study involved a survey using semi-structured questionnaires and Laboratory analysis of aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin M1 in animal feeds and fresh milk samples collected from among smallholder dairy farmers.

Methodology: Purposive selection of 120 respondents among smallholder dairy farmers in six wards purposively selected due to having larger number of dairy cattle was conducted. Likewise, 20 samples of animal feeds and 25 composite milk samples from among 120 interviewed farmers were analysed for aflatoxin B1 and M1 using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Results: The results indicates that, aflatoxin B1 in feeds was 55%, with mean concentration of 8.6 ±5.9 μg/kg ranging from the lowest limit of detection (LOD) to 21.1 μg/kg with 5% samples above the maximum level stipulated by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and European Union (EU) of 20 μg/kg. Likewise, about 44% of the milk samples revealed to contain traces of aflatoxin M1 with a mean amount of 0.07 ±0.08 μg/L, ranging from the limit of detection (<LOD) to 0.23 μg/L, and 12% exceeding the TBS and EU standards of 0.05 μg/kg.

Conclusion: There is need to scale up aflatoxin awareness campaigns and regular monitoring throughout the food system in Tanzania.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT:
How Much Good I Can Afford
Authors: Xiang Xinran Maria
Published: December 2023

This essay describes the author’s experience balancing the different necessities in medical practice, in particular writing perfect patient notes vs establishing a face-to-face connection.
Flow‐based immunomagnetic enrichment of circulating tumor cells from diagnostic leukapheresis product
Authors: Stevens Michiel , Mentink Anouk , Coumans Frank A. W. , Dathathri Eshwari , Isebia Khrystany T. , Kraan Jaco , de Wit Ronald , Martens John W. M. , Terstappen Leon W. M. M.
Published: December 2023

The clinical utility of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is hampered by the low number of cells detected. Diagnostic leukapheresis (DLA) offers a solution but, due to the observed non‐specific binding and clumping, processing of DLA samples using the CellSearch system only allows for the processing of aliquots consisting of ~ 2% of the total DLA sample per test. Here, we introduce a flow enrichment target capture Halbach‐array (FETCH)‐based separation method in combination with a DNase preprocessing step to capture CTCs from larger fractions of DLA products without clumping. To evaluate the FETCH method, we processed peripheral blood samples from 19 metastatic castration‐naïve prostate cancer (mCNPC) patients with CellSearch, and processed 2% aliquots of leukapheresis samples from the same patients with CellSearch as well as FETCH with or without DNase preprocessing. Using 2% aliquots from six patients, the use of FETCH with fewer immunomagnetic epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (EpCAM) conjugated ferrofluids was tested, whereas 20% aliquots from four patients were used to evaluate the processing of 10‐fold larger DLA samples using FETCH. Results show that the cell clumping normally seen after immunomagnetic enrichment of DLA material was greatly reduced with the use of DNase pretreatment, while the number of CTCs detected was not affected. The number of CTCs detected in 2% aliquots of DLA using FETCH was unchanged compared to CellSearch and did not decrease when using down to 10% of the volume of immunomagnetic anti‐EpCAM ferrofluids normally used in a CellSearch test, whereas the number of co‐enriched white blood cells reduced a median 3.2‐fold. Processing of a 20% aliquot of DLA with FETCH resulted in a 14‐fold increase in CTCs compared to the processing of 2% aliquots of DLA using CellSearch and a total 42‐fold median increase in CTCs compared to peripheral‐blood CellSearch.
Improving the Electrochemical Performance of Zinc Sulfides by Iron Doping Toward Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Mohamed Saad Gomaa , Morad Mona Mahmoud , Siddiqui Masoom Raza , Mahmud Abdullah Al , Zoubi Wail Al
Published: December 2023

The rational design of heterostructured Fe‐doped ZnS microspheres (FeZnS‐MS) and their use as electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs) is proposed. FeZnS‐MS are mounted on a Ni foam substrate to develop high‐activity positive electrodes for SCs. The morphological and electrochemical performances of the hydrothermally synthesized FeZnS‐MS are investigated, revealing the formation of microspherical Fe‐doped ZnS nanocubes. Different Fe ratios (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) are successfully introduced to ZnS without impurities, whereas two phases are produced when the percentage is increased to 0.4. Notably, under a current density of 2 A g−1, the Zn0.7Fe0.3S nanocomposite showed an exceptional specific capacitance of 575 F g−1, compared to the moderate value (200 F g−1) achieved by ZnS. At 0.5 and 1 A g−1, the Zn0.7Fe0.3S electrode presented an even better specific capacitance of 700 and 604.5 F g−1, respectively. Using this electrode, a hybrid supercapacitor system is developed and delivered 11 Wh kg−1 and a high specific power of 591.2 W kg−1.
Unique Yttria Nanoparticle Strengthening in an Inconel 718 Superalloy Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Dai Shengbin , Zhu Jiangqi , Yan Xingchen , Wu Shun , Liu Yang , Gao Xiang , Fraser Hamish , Hodgson Peter , Zhu Yuman , Heilmaier Martin , Huang Aijun
Published: December 2023

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) nickel (Ni)‐based superalloys are advanced materials known for their outstanding tensile and creep performance at temperatures exceeding 1000 °C. Nevertheless, their conventional synthesis presents a longstanding challenge in cost‐effectively producing intricate components for critical applications. In this work, electrostatic self‐assembly (ESA) of powders with the laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process are successfully combined to produce yttria ODS Inconel 718 (IN718) alloy for the first time. This approach demonstrates a significant contribution of yttria to the strength of IN718 after the solid solution heat treatment, as evidenced by ≈50% improvement in room temperature yield strength with a 0.5 wt.% yttria addition. The addition of yttria by this process leads to a heterogeneous microstructure. This heterogeneous microstructure comprises two distinct grain areas with varying amounts of yttria nanoparticles and dislocation storage. The results show that the yield strength increase can be predicted by the combination of both Y2O3 dispersion strengthening and dislocation strengthening mechanisms. These findings offer an effective approach to tailor heterogeneous microstructures, unlocking new opportunities for cost‐effectively producing high‐performance ODS Ni‐based superalloy products with excellent mechanical properties.
Molecular Insight into the Water‐Induced Enhancement of Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence in Organic Aggregates
Authors: Lv Anqi , Gong Wenqi , Lv Kaiqi , Ma Qian , An Zhongfu , Ma Huili
Published: December 2023

Organic room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from triplet excitons has shown great potential for biological imaging and sensing, but these applications in aqueous environments are often limited by the moisture‐mediated phosphorescence quenching. Water‐induced enhancement of RTP can overcome this limitation, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study focuses on two control prototypes CT and CTW, composed of trimesic acid (TMA, guest) and cyanuric acid (CA, host), while CTW introduces 20 wt.% water to CT, leading to enhanced RTP. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the molecular conformation of TMA manipulated by intermolecular interactions governs the RTP property of aggregates. From CT to CTW, the TMA tends to a more coplanar geometry due to the decreased values in the span of deviation from plane. This conformational change not only increases the spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) of S1→Tn, thereby accelerating the intersystem crossing process and radiative transition for promoting RTP efficiency, but also reduces the SOC of T1→S0, suppressing the non‐radiative transition to prolong RTP lifetime. Exciton dynamics reproduce the prolonged RTP lifetime from CT to CTW in experiments, which is dominated by the SOC, rather than the electron‐vibration coupling. The findings offer novel insights for developing water‐doped materials with improved RTP performance.
Heterovalent Doping in CsCdCl3 Enabled Tunable Multimode Luminescence and Photochromism Toward Multilevel Anti‐Counterfeiting
Authors: Zhou Xinquan , Zhang Shuai , Han Kai , Jin Jiance , Sun Yongsheng , Xia Zhiguo
Published: December 2023

Integrating self‐trapped excitons (STEs), dopants, and defect levels in a single‐component metal halide perovskite will be of significance for tunable multimode luminescence and photochromism. Here, a platform utilizing interactions of STEs, defects, and alien dopants in CsCdCl3 by a heterovalent doping strategy is demonstrated, in which the photoluminescence quantum efficiency is improved, and more importantly, the emissions can be manipulated statically and dynamically by dopants and changing excitation wavelength/irradiation time. Meanwhile, the presence of carrier trapping and de‐trapping processes leads to bright orange–near‐infrared persistent luminescence and photochromic behaviors, which can be quickly erased by white light, enabling visual displays and codable in dark and bright dual‐fields. Inspired by these versatile optical characteristics of doped luminescent metal halides, a multilevel encryption and anti‐counterfeiting platform with the advantages of nondestructive and convenient authentication is constructed.
3D Stretchable Devices: Laser‐Patterned Electronic and Photonic Structures
Authors: Thekkekara Litty V , Cheong Ying Zhi , Rahman Md. Ataur , Sriram Sharath , Bhaskaran Madhu
Published: December 2023

Realizing three‐dimensional stretchable structures of functional materials with a minimum footprint on Silicone polymer is highly desirable in soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and photonics. However, material processing on a stretchable substrate requires a sophisticated deposition system with integrated substrate cooling facilities, delamination of materials from the stretchable substrate due to stretching‐releasing cycles, and coating the functional materials. Here, a methodology to address these challenges using in situ graphitization within silicone polymer, referring to transforming the material into graphite‐like structures using three‐dimensional laser printing is reported. In this case, the graphitization process occurs due to the interaction of the material with a spatially controllable, tightly focused femtosecond laser beam in the confined region within the polymer. Three‐dimensional printed embedded, stretchable electrodes and varifocal lenses of thickness 1/20th compared to the epidermis layer thickness of human skin, which can contribute to achieving compact, highly sensitive wearable sensing and imaging systems are demonstrated and characterized. This process will open a new door for forming non‐metallic stretchable three‐dimensional conductors and photonics with minimum exposure to atmospheric conditions and a pathway to interface with thin films to develop low‐dimensional devices. These graphitized three‐dimensional structures can make them integral to intelligent skins, e‐textiles, and implantable devices.
Hypoxia‐induced cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator dysfunction is a universal mechanism underlying reduced mucociliary transport in sinusitis
Authors: Cho Do‐Yeon , Zhang Shaoyan , Norwood T. Graham , Skinner Daniel , Hollis Tonja A. , Ehrhardt Marie L. , Yang Lydia C. , Lim Dong‐Jin , Grayson Jessica W. , Lazrak Ahmed , Matalon Sadis , Rowe Steven M. , Woodworth Bradford A.
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Hypoxia due to sinus obstruction is a major pathogenic mechanism leading to sinusitis. The objective of the current study is to define the electrophysiologic characteristics of hypoxia in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

Cystic fibrosis bronchoepithelial cells expressing wild‐type cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and human sinonasal epithelial cells were exposed to 1% or atmospheric O2 for 24 h. Time‐dependent production of cytoplasmic free radicals was measured. Cells were subjected to Ussing chamber and patch clamp technique where CFTR currents were recorded in whole‐cell and cell‐attached mode for single channel studies. Indices of mucociliary transport (MCT) were measured using micro‐optical coherence tomography. In a rabbit hypoxic maxillary sinus model, tissue oxygenation, relative mRNA expression of HIF‐1α, pH, sinus potential difference (SPD), and MCT were determined.

Results

Ussing chamber (p < 0.05), whole‐cell (p < 0.001), and single channel patch‐clamp (p < 0.0001) showed significant inhibition of Cl− currents in hypoxic cells. Cytoplasmic free radicals showed time‐dependent elevation peaking at 4 h (p < 0.0001). Airway surface liquid (p < 0.0001), periciliary liquid (p < 0.001), and MCT (p < 0.01) were diminished. Co‐incubation with the free radical scavenger glutathione negated the impact of hypoxia on single channel currents and MCT markers. In sinusitis rabbits, mucosa exhibited low tissue oxygenation (p < 0.0001), increased HIF1α mRNA (p < 0.05), reduced pH (p < 0.01), and decreased MCT (p < 0.001). SPD measurements demonstrated markedly diminished transepithelial Cl− transport (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Hypoxia induces severe CFTR dysfunction via free radical production causing reduced MCT in vitro and in vivo. Improved oxygenation is critical to reducing the impact of persistent mucociliary dysfunction.
P450‐Modified Multicyclic Cyclophane‐Containing Ribosomally Synthesized and Post‐Translationally Modified Peptides
Authors: Liu Cheng Li , Wang Zi Jie , Shi Jing , Yan Zhang Yuan , Zhang Guo Dong , Jiao Rui Hua , Tan Ren Xiang , Ge Hui Ming
Published: December 2023

Cyclic peptides with cyclophane linkers are an attractive compound type owing to the fine‐tuned rigid three‐dimensional structures and unusual biophysical features. Cytochrome P450 enzymes are capable of catalyzing not only the C−C and C−O oxidative coupling reactions found in vancomycin and other nonribosomal peptides (NRPs), but they also exhibit novel catalytic activities to generate cyclic ribosomally synthesized and post‐translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) through cyclophane linkage. To discover more P450‐modified multicyclic RiPPs, we set out to find cryptic and unknown P450‐modified RiPP biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) through genome mining. Synergized bioinformatic analysis reveals that P450‐modified RiPP BGCs are broadly distributed in bacteria and can be classified into 11 classes. Focusing on two classes of P450‐modified RiPP BGCs where precursor peptides contain multiple conserved aromatic amino acid residues, we characterized 11 novel P450‐modified multicyclic RiPPs with different cyclophane linkers through heterologous expression. Further mutation of the key ring‐forming residues and combinatorial biosynthesis study revealed the order of bond formation and the specificity of P450s. This study reveals the functional diversity of P450 enzymes involved in the cyclophane‐containing RiPPs and indicates that P450 enzymes are promising tools for rapidly obtaining structurally diverse cyclic peptide derivatives.
Strategies for revealing deformation and wear mechanisms of polymer composites by combining scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy and cross‐section techniques—Exemplified by glass fiber reinforced poly‐phenylene‐sulphide
Authors: Holmgren Jonna , Heinrichs Lindgren Jannica , Kassman Rudolphi Åsa , Jacobson Staffan
Published: December 2023

Polymers and polymer composites are frequently used in tribological applications. However, their use is often limited by excessive wear or plastic deformation, therefore research and development aiming to improve the materials is ongoing. Tribological evaluations of polymer composites often study the friction coefficient and wear rate for different types, sizes and amounts of fillers. But rarely are any mechanisms presented. Although polymer materials differ from metals, the techniques typically used for metal components, for example, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy (EDS), can be adapted to polymer materials, to achieve more informative SEM micrographs and EDS analyses. The aim of this article is to present useful analysis strategies, from sample preparation and selection of viewing angles, to selection of instrument settings and detector types. The strategies are exemplified by analysis of poly‐phenylene‐sulphide filled with glass fiber, evaluated against steel in a reciprocating ball‐on‐flat test set‐up. This article takes its starting point with the worn surfaces, and subsequently analyze them using SEM and EDS. A selection of cross section preparation techniques, analysis parameters and microscopy settings are presented and discussed. By combining these techniques and settings, the observation of a strongly modified surface layer, as well as sub‐surface plastic deformation and imbedded wear particles, is facilitated.
An active learning approach to teach distributed forces using augmented reality with guided inquiry
Authors: Giancaspro James W. , Arboleda Diana , Kim Nam J. , Chin Seulki J. , Britton Jennifer C. , Secada Walter G.
Published: December 2023

Mastering the concept of distributed forces is vital for students who are pursuing a major involving engineering mechanics. Misconceptions related to distributed forces that are typically acquired in introductory Physics courses should be corrected to increase student success in subsequent mechanics coursework. The goal of this study was to develop and assess a guided instructional activity using augmented reality (AR) technology to improve undergraduate engineering students' understanding of distributed forces. The AR app was accompanied by a complementary activity to guide and challenge students to model objects as beams with progressively increasing difficulty. The AR tool allowed students to (a) model a tabletop as a beam with multiple distributed forces, (b) visualize the free body diagram, and (c) compute the external support reactions. To assess the effectiveness of the activity, 43 students were allocated to control and treatment groups using an experimental nonequivalent groups preactivity/postactivity test design. Of the 43 students, 35 participated in their respective activity. Students in the control group collaborated on traditional problem‐solving, while those in the treatment group engaged in a guided activity using AR. Students' knowledge of distributed forces was measured using their scores on a 10‐item test instrument. Analysis of covariance was utilized to analyze postactivity test scores by controlling for the preactivity test scores. The treatment group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in postactivity test scores than that of the control group. The measured effect size was 0.13, indicating that 13% of the total variance in the postactivity test scores can be attributed to the activity. Though the effect size was small, the results suggest that a guided AR activity can be more effective in improving student learning outcomes than traditional problem‐solving.
An infant with lamellar ichthyosis presenting with meningitis
Authors: Mesfin Telila , Tsegaye Mesfin , Seyoum Kenbon , Geta Girma , Ejigu Neway , Elala Tesfaye , Gomora Degefa , Sahiledengle Biniyam , Tadesse Eshetu Mesfin , Kusa Getu , Tilahun Teketel
Published: December 2023

Lamellar ichthyosis is a rare congenital disorder characterized by widespread epidermal hyperkeratinization. It is a rare clinical disorder throughout the entire planet, and newborns with this disease frequently have collodion membranes (adhering, supple, parchment‐like membrane). We present a 45‐day‐old infant who came to our facility complaining of a high‐grade persistent fever, high‐pitched crying, decreased feeding, odd body movements, rapid breathing, and grunting that lasted for 2 days. He was diagnosed with lamellar ichthyosis.
Piezoelectric Effect Promoted Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting Ability of ZnIn2S4 Photoanode with Highly Exposed Active (110) Facets
Authors: Li Jiazeyu , Wang Chengyi , Guo Zhengang , Ruan Mengnan
Published: December 2023

It is important to design high performance photoelectrode materials in the process of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, ZnIn2S4 nanomaterial with highly exposed active (110) facets were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. Meanwhile, piezoelectric polarization was used to induce the generation of built‐in electric field, which can suppress the compounding of photogenerated charge carriers caused by structural defects at the semiconductor surface. By controlling the crystal facet structure, ZnIn2S4 with a highly exposed active (110) facet shows a better photoelectrochemical water splitting performance under ultrasound, and its photocurrent density increases with the increase of ultrasound frequency, reaching a maximum value of 0.36 mA/cm2 at 1.23 VRHE, which is 2.8 times higher than that without ultrasound. It can be concluded that the (110) facet of ZnIn2S4 can induce a larger internal piezoelectric potential which allows rapid electron transer at the ZnIn2S4 surface, under ultrasonic conditions. And the highly exposed (110) facet also provides more reactive sites, leading to further enhanced catalytic activity. Such nanomaterial with highly exposed active facets will provide inspiration for the construction of photoelectrode systems with high photoelectrochemical water splitting efficiency.
Investigating the Structure‐property Relationships of Two Cd‐based Hybrid Multifunctional Compounds with High Tc, Bright Fluorescence and Wide Band‐gap
Authors: Wan Ming‐Yang , Wang Zhi‐Ying , Li Qing‐Lian , Wang Fang Xin , Liao Juan , Wang Li‐Juan , Tang Yun‐Zhi , Tan Yu‐Hui
Published: December 2023

Organic‐inorganic hybrid multifunctional materials have shown significant application in lighting and sensor fields, owing to their prominent performance and diversity structures. Herein, we synthesized two multifunctional compounds: (propyl‐quinuclidone)2CdBr4 (1) and (F‐butyl‐quinuclidone)2CdBr4 (2). By introducing light‐emitting organic cation with flexible long chain, 1 and 2 exhibit excellent transition properties and bright blue‐white fluorescence. Then, combine fluorescence lifetime and first‐principal calculation, providing evidence for the electron transfer emission. Subsequently, investigated the impact of substituent carbon chain length (methyl to butyl), structural rigidity (C−C to C−F) and halide framework (Cl to I) on the fluorescence properties. Results indicate that Cd⋅⋅⋅Cd distance and structural rigidity play an important role in fluorescence. Overall, our research provides valuable insight and example for chemical modifications enhance compound performance.
Potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate–polyacrylonitrile composite for removing cobalt, strontium, and cesium from radioactive laundry wastewater
Authors: Septian Ardie , Masud Md Abdullah Al , Shin Won Sik
Published: December 2023

The applicability of potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate–polyacrylonitrile (KNiFC–PAN) for the sorption of Co2+, Sr2+, and Cs+ from radioactive laundry wastewater generated in nuclear power plants was investigated. Competitive sorption of Co2+, Sr2+, and Cs+ onto KNiFC–PAN was studied for single, binary, and ternary solutions. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Kargi–Ozmıhci, Koble–Corrigan, and Langmuir–Freundlich models predicted the single‐sorption data (R2 ≥ 0.942, sum of squared error ≤ 0.105). The sorption isotherms were nonlinearly favorable (Freundlich coefficient, NF = 0.288–0.842). According to the Langmuir, Freundlich, Kargi–Ozmıhci, Koble–Corrigan, and Langmuir–Freundlich models, at pH 5 (C0 = 20 mM), KNiFC−PAN exhibited the highest maximum sorption capacity (qmL) for Cs+ among the investigated cations, wherein the primary mechanism was physical sorption. The competition between the metal ions in the binary and ternary systems reduced the respective sorption capacities. Binary and ternary sorption models, such as the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) model coupled with Freundlich (IAST–Freundlich), IAST–Langmuir, and IAST–Langmuir–Freundlich models, were fitted to the experimental data; among these, the IAST–Freundlich model was the most accurate for the binary and ternary systems. The presence of sodium 4‐n‐octylbenzenesulfonate and dodecylbenzene–sulfonic acid sodium salt as anionic surfactants strongly affected the sorption capacity on KNiFC–PAN owing to increased distribution coefficients (Kd) of Cs+, Sr2+, and Co2+. Thus, KNiFC–PAN is promising for removing Cs+, Sr2+, and Co2+ from radioactive laundry wastewater.