bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-modal generative modeling for joint analysis of single-cell T cell receptor and gene expression data
Authors: Drost Felix , An Yang , Bonafonte-Pardàs Irene , Dratva Lisa M. , Lindeboom Rik G. H. , Haniffa Muzlifah , Teichmann Sarah A. , Theis Fabian , Lotfollahi Mohammad , Schubert Benjamin
Published: July 2024

Recent advances in single-cell immune profiling have enabled the simultaneous measurement of transcriptome and T cell receptor (TCR) sequences, offering great potential for studying immune responses at the cellular level. However, integrating these diverse modalities across datasets is challenging due to their unique data characteristics and technical variations. Here, to address this, we develop the multimodal generative model mvTCR to fuse modality-specific information across transcriptome and TCR into a shared representation. Our analysis demonstrates the added value of multimodal over unimodal approaches to capture antigen specificity. Notably, we use mvTCR to distinguish T cell subpopulations binding to SARS-CoV-2 antigens from bystander cells. Furthermore, when combined with reference mapping approaches, mvTCR can map newly generated datasets to extensive T cell references, facilitating knowledge transfer. In summary, we envision mvTCR to enable a scalable analysis of multimodal immune profiling data and advance our understanding of immune responses.
How to catch a shear band and explain plasticity of metallic glasses with continuum mechanics
Authors: Glushko Oleksandr , Pippan Reinhard , Şopu Daniel , Mitterer Christian , Eckert Jürgen
Published: July 2024

Capturing a shear band in a metallic glass during its propagation experimentally is very challenging. Shear bands are very narrow but extend rapidly over macroscopic distances, therefore, characterization of large areas at high magnification and high speed is required. Here we show how to control the shear bands in a pre-structured thin film metallic glass in order to directly measure local strains during initiation, propagation, or arrest events. Based on the experimental observations, a model describing the shear banding phenomenon purely within the frameworks of continuum mechanics is formulated. We claim that metallic glasses exhibit an elastic limit of about 5% which must be exceeded locally either at a stress concentrator to initiate a shear banding event, or at the tip of a shear band during its propagation. The model can successfully connect micro- and macroscopic plasticity of metallic glasses and suggests an alternative interpretation of controversial experimental observations.
Rockfish: A transformer-based model for accurate 5-methylcytosine prediction from nanopore sequencing
Authors: Stanojević Dominik , Li Zhe , Bakić Sara , Foo Roger , Šikić Mile
Published: July 2024

DNA methylation plays an important role in various biological processes, including cell differentiation, ageing, and cancer development. The most important methylation in mammals is 5-methylcytosine mostly occurring in the context of CpG dinucleotides. Sequencing methods such as whole-genome bisulfite sequencing successfully detect 5-methylcytosine DNA modifications. However, they suffer from the serious drawbacks of short read lengths and might introduce an amplification bias. Here we present Rockfish, a deep learning algorithm that significantly improves read-level 5-methylcytosine detection by using Nanopore sequencing. Rockfish is compared with other methods based on Nanopore sequencing on R9.4.1 and R10.4.1 datasets. There is an increase in the single-base accuracy and the F1 measure of up to 5 percentage points on R.9.4.1 datasets, and up to 0.82 percentage points on R10.4.1 datasets. Moreover, Rockfish shows a high correlation with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, requires lower read depth, and achieves higher confidence in biologically important regions such as CpG-rich promoters while being computationally efficient. Its superior performance in human and mouse samples highlights its versatility for studying 5-methylcytosine methylation across varied organisms and diseases. Finally, its adaptable architecture ensures compatibility with new versions of pores and chemistry as well as modification types.
Magnetic excitations in strained infinite-layer nickelate PrNiO2 films
Authors: Gao Qiang , Fan Shiyu , Wang Qisi , Li Jiarui , Ren Xiaolin , Biało Izabela , Drewanowski Annabella , Rothenbühler Pascal , Choi Jaewon , Sutarto Ronny , Wang Yao , Xiang Tao , Hu Jiangping , Zhou Ke-Jin , Bisogni Valentina , Comin Riccardo , Chang J. , Pelliciari Jonathan , Zhou X. J. , Zhu Zhihai
Published: July 2024

Strongly correlated materials respond sensitively to external perturbations such as strain, pressure, and doping. In the recently discovered superconducting infinite-layer nickelates, the superconducting transition temperature can be enhanced via only ~ 1% compressive strain-tuning with the root of such enhancement still being elusive. Using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS), we investigate the magnetic excitations in infinite-layer PrNiO2 thin films grown on two different substrates, namely SrTiO3 (STO) and (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7 (LSAT) enforcing different strain on the nickelates films. The magnon bandwidth of PrNiO2 shows only marginal response to strain-tuning, in sharp contrast to the enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature Tc in the doped superconducting samples. These results suggest the bandwidth of spin excitations of the parent compounds is similar under strain while Tc in the doped ones is not, and thus provide important empirics for the understanding of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates.
A rapid aureochrome opto-switch enables diatom acclimation to dynamic light
Authors: Zhang Huan , Xiong Xiaofeng , Guo Kangning , Zheng Mengyuan , Cao Tianjun , Yang Yuqing , Song Jiaojiao , Cen Jie , Zhang Jiahuan , Jiang Yanyou , Feng Shan , Tian Lijin , Li Xiaobo
Published: July 2024

Diatoms often outnumber other eukaryotic algae in the oceans, especially in coastal environments characterized by frequent fluctuations in light intensity. The identities and operational mechanisms of regulatory factors governing diatom acclimation to high light stress remain largely elusive. Here, we identified the AUREO1c protein from the coastal diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a crucial regulator of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), a photoprotective mechanism that dissipates excess energy as heat. AUREO1c detects light stress using a light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) domain and directly activates the expression of target genes, including LI818 genes that encode NPQ effector proteins, via its bZIP DNA-binding domain. In comparison to a kinase-mediated pathway reported in the freshwater green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the AUREO1c pathway exhibits a faster response and enables accumulation of LI818 transcript and protein levels to comparable degrees between continuous high-light and fluctuating-light treatments. We propose that the AUREO1c-LI818 pathway contributes to the resilience of diatoms under dynamic light conditions.
Advantages of cone beam computed tomography for evaluation of subchondral insufficiency fractures of the knee compared to MRI
Authors: Delsmann Maximilian M. , Delsmann Julian , Jandl Nico Maximilian , Maas Kai-Jonathan , Beil Frank Timo , Amling Michael , Henes Frank Oliver , Rolvien Tim , Spink Clemens
Published: July 2024

To determine the diagnostic yield of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) compared with 3 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of subchondral insufficiency fractures of the knee. Consecutive patients with subchondral insufficiency fractures of the knee examined by 3 T MRI and CBCT of the femoral condyles were reviewed. Two experienced raters graded the lesion severity on 3 T MRI and CBCT images: grade 1: no signs of a subchondral bone lesion; grade 2: subchondral trabecular fracture or cystic changes, but without infraction of the subchondral bone plate; grade 3: collapse of the subchondral bone plate. Ratings were repeated after six weeks to determine reliability. In addition, the bone lesion size was measured as elliptical area (mm2) and compared between CBCT and T1-weighted MRI sequences. Among 30 patients included (43.3% women; mean age: 60.9 ± 12.8 years; body mass index (BMI) 29.0 ± 12.8 kg/m2), the medial femoral condyle was affected in 21/30 patients (70%). The grading of subchondral lesions between MRI and CBCT did not match in 12 cases (40%). Based on MRI images, an underestimation (i.e., undergrading) compared with CBCT was observed in nine cases (30%), whereas overgrading occurred in three cases (10%). Compared to CBCT, routine T1-weighted 3 T sequences significantly overestimated osseus defect zones in sagittal (84.7 ± 68.9 mm2 vs. 35.9 ± 38.2 mm2, p < 0.01, Cohen’s d = 1.14) and coronal orientation (53.1 ± 24.0 mm2 vs. 22.0 ± 15.2 mm2, p < 0.01, Cohen’s d = 1.23). The reproducibility of the grading determined by intra- and inter-rater agreement was very high in MRI (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.78 and 0.90, respectively) and CBCT (ICC 0.96 and 0.96, respectively). In patients with subchondral insufficiency fractures of the knee, the use of CBCT revealed discrepancies in lesion grading compared with MRI. These findings are clinically relevant, as precise determination of subchondral bone plate integrity may influence the decision about conservative or surgical treatment. CBCT represents our imaging modality of choice for grading the lesion and assessing subchondral bone plate integrity. MRI remains the gold standard modality to detect especially early stages.
Identification of hub genes associated with diabetic cardiomyopathy using integrated bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Cui Hailong , Hu Die , Xu Jing , Zhao Shuiying , Song Yi , Qin Guijun , Liu Yanling
Published: July 2024

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cardiovascular complication of diabetes, which may threaten the quality of life and shorten life expectancy in the diabetic population. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the diabetes cardiomyopathy are not fully elucidated. We analyzed two datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differentially expressed and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen key genes and molecules. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were constructed to identify hub genes. The diagnostic value of the hub gene was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to validate the hub genes. A total of 13 differentially co-expressed modules were selected by WGCNA and differential expression analysis. KEGG and GO analysis showed these DEGs were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism and myocardial hypertrophy pathway, cytomembrane, and mitochondrion. As a result, six genes were identified as hub genes. Finally, five genes (Pdk4, Lipe, Serpine1, Igf1r, and Bcl2l1) were found significantly changed in both the validation dataset and experimental mice with DCM. In conclusion, the present study identified five genes that may help provide novel targets for diagnosing and treating DCM.
Top coal drawing law for an extra thick coal seam under the single round group drawing method
Authors: Pan Weidong , Zhao Zhining , Li Xinyuan , Xu Yongxin , Zhang Kunming
Published: July 2024

To solve the problems of poor top coal drawing, lagging collapse, and difficulty in parallel operation of mining and drawing in extra-thick coal seams, considering the 8222 working face of the Tashan Mine as the engineering background, we first investigate the basic problems of fully mechanized top coal drawing mining in extra-thick coal seams using the single-round group drawing method (GDM). We then analyze the drawing law of top coal with different thicknesses under the single-round GDM from the aspects of top coal recovery (TCR) and drawing efficiency, coal loss mechanism, and the relation between TCR and gangue content (GC), providing a basis for determining the process parameters of GDM. Results indicate that as the top coal thickness increases, the number of drawing openings considerably influences drawing efficiency and top coal loss. And there is a notable thickness effect of the number of drawing openings on the top coal loss. There is a quantitative relationship among TCR, cumulative GC (CGC) and instantaneous GC (IGC), and CGC and TCR can be predicted based on the IGC. Consequently, theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results indicate that the optimal IGC threshold at the coal drawing openings between 31.2 and 40%. Through optimizing the coal drawing method and strictly controlling the IGC at the coal drawing openings on-site, the measured working face TCR increased from 75.25 to 90.12%, and CGC was controlled at approximately 9%. Meanwhile, the average coordination efficiency of mining and drawing time reaches 68.2%, effectively ensuring the construction of a coal mine with an annual output of 15 million tons.
Analysis of the multiple drivers of vegetation cover evolution in the Taihangshan-Yanshan region
Authors: Yan Feng , Guo Xinyu , Zhang Yuwen , Shan Jing , Miao Zihan , Li Chenyang , Huang Xuehan , Pang Jiao , Chen Yaheng
Published: July 2024

The Taihangshan-Yanshan region (TYR) is an important ecological barrier area for Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and the effectiveness of its ecological restoration and protection is of great significance to the ecological security pattern of North China. Based on the FVC data from 2000 to 2021, residual analysis, parametric optimal geodetector technique (OPGD) and multi-scale geographically weighted regression analysis (MGWR) were used to clarify the the multivariate driving mechanism of the evolution of FVC in the TYR. Results show that: (1) FVC changes in the TYR show a slowly fluctuating upward trend, with an average growth rate of 0.02/10a, and a spatial pattern of "high in the northwest and low in the southeast"; more than half of the FVC increased during the 22-year period. (2) The results of residual analysis showed that the effects of temperature and precipitation on FVC were very limited, and a considerable proportion (80.80% and 76.78%) of the improved and degraded areas were influenced by other factors. (3) The results of OPGD showed that the main influencing factors of the spatial differentiation of FVC included evapotranspiration, surface temperature, land use type, nighttime light intensity, soil type, and vegetation type (q > 0.2); The explanatory rates of the two-factor interactions were greater than those of the single factor, which showed either nonlinear enhancement or bifactorial enhancement, among which, the interaction of evapotranspiration with mean air and surface temperature has the strongest effect on the spatial and temporal evolution of FVC (q = 0.75). Surface temperature between 4.98 and 10.4 °C, evapotranspiration between 638 and 762 mm/a, and nighttime light between 1.96 and 7.78 lm/m2 favoured an increase in vegetation cover, and vegetation developed on lysimetric soils was more inclined to be of high cover. (4) The correlation between each variable and FVC showed different performance, GDP, elevation, slope and FVC showed significant positive correlation in most regions, while population size, urban population proportion, GDP proportion of primary and secondary industries, and nighttime light intensity all showed negative correlation with FVC to different degrees. The results can provide data for formulating regional environmental protection and restoration policies.
Research on reliability mapping of 5G low orbit constellation network slice based on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Xiao Yunjie , Li Nan , Yu Jiangtao , Zhao Baozhu , Chen Dawei , Wei Zhengrong
Published: July 2024

Reliability mapping of 5G low orbit constellation network slice is an important means to ensure link network communication. The problem of state space explosion is a typical problem. The deep reinforcement learning method is introduced. Under the 5G low orbit constellation integrated network architecture based on software definition network (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV), the resource requirements and resource constraints of the virtual network function (VNF) are comprehensively considered to build the 5G low orbit constellation network slice reliability mapping model, and the reliability mapping model parameters are trained and learned by using deep reinforcement learning, solve the problem of state space explosion in the reliability mapping process of 5G low orbit constellation network slices. In addition, node backup and link backup strategies based on importance are adopted to solve the problem that VNF/link reliability is difficult to meet in the reliability mapping process of 5G low orbit constellation network slice. The experimental results show that this method improves the network throughput, packet loss rate and intra slice traffic of 5G low orbit constellation, and can completely repair network faults within 0.3 s; For different number of 5G low orbit constellation network slicing requests, the reliability of this method remains above 98%; For SFC with different lengths, the average network delay of this method is less than 0.15 s.
Activation of cellular antioxidative stress and migration activities by purified components from immortalized stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth
Authors: Shu Yujing , Otake Masato , Seta Yasuhiro , Hori Keigo , Kuramochi Akiko , Ohba Yoshio , Teramura Yuji
Published: July 2024

Although stem cell-based regenerative medicine has been extensively studied, it remains difficult to reconstruct three dimensional tissues and organs in combination with vascular systems in vitro. One clinically successful therapy is transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into patients with graft versus host disease. However, transplanted cells are immediately damaged and destroyed because of innate immune reactions provoked by thrombogenic inflammation, and patients need to take immunosuppressive drugs for the immunological regulation of allogeneic cells. This reduces the benefits of stem cell transplantation. Therefore, alternative therapies are more realistic options for clinical use. In this study, we aimed to take advantage of the therapeutic efficacy of MSC and use multiple cytokines released from MSC, that is, stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs). Here, we purified components from conditioned media of immortalized SHED (IM-SHED-CM) and evaluated the activities of intracellular dehydrogenase, cell migration, and antioxidative stress by studying the cells. The immortalization of SHED could make the stable supply of CM possible. We found that the fractionated component of 50–100 kD from IM-SHED-CM had higher efficacy than the original IM-SHED-CM in terms of intracellular dehydrogenase and cell migration in which intracellular signal transduction was activated via receptor tyrosine kinases, and the glutathione peroxidase and reductase system was highly active. Although antioxidative stress activities in the fractionated component of 50–100 kD had slightly lower than that of original IM-SHE-CM, the fraction still had the activity. Thus, the use of fractionated components of 50–100 kD from IM-SHED-CM could be an alternative choice for MSC transplantation because the purified components from CM could maintain the effect of cytokines from SHED.
Subfoveal choroidal thickness increases after excimer laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty but not after excimer laser-assisted deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty
Authors: Aljundi Wissam , Daas Loay , Munteanu Cristian , Seitz Berthold , Abdin Alaa Din
Published: July 2024

To evaluate the impact of excimer laser-assisted deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (Exc-DALK) and excimer laser-assisted penetrating keratoplasty (Exc-PKP) on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) in eyes with advanced keratoconus. A retrospective comparative clinical study, which compares the outcomes of 24 eyes treated with Exc-DALK (G1) against matched group of 43 eyes treated with Exc-PKP (G2) at both 2 months (T1) and 2 years (T2) postoperatively. Main outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and SFCT. Preoperatively, there were no significant differences between both groups regarding BCVA, CMT or SFCT (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between both groups regarding BCVA at both follow-ups (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between both groups regarding CMT at both follow-ups (p > 0.05). SFCT was higher in G2 than G1 at both follow-ups (p < 0.01). Compared to preoperative SFCT, there were no significant changes in SFCT in G1 at both follow-ups (p > 0.05). In G2, SFCT increased significantly at T1 (p < 0.01) and did not differ significantly at T2 (p = 0.17). SFCT increased significantly after Exc-PKP but not after Exc-DALK, which might indicate that Exc-DALK affects the choroid less and thus could represent a less traumatic approach to ocular tissue than Exc-PKP.
Automatic summarization model based on clustering algorithm
Authors: Dai Wenzhuo , He Qing
Published: July 2024

Extractive document summary is usually seen as a sequence labeling task, which the summary is formulated by sentences from the original document. However, the selected sentences usually are high redundancy in semantic space, so that the composed summary are high semantic redundancy. To alleviate this problem, we propose a model to reduce the semantic redundancy of summary by introducing the cluster algorithm to select difference sentences in semantic space and we improve the base BERT to score sentences. We evaluate our model and perform significance testing using ROUGE on the CNN/DailyMail datasets compare with six baselines, which include two traditional methods and four state-of-art deep learning model. The results validate the effectiveness of our approach, which leverages K-means algorithm to produce more accurate and less repeat sentences in semantic summaries.
DSnet: a new dual-branch network for hippocampus subfield segmentation
Authors: Zhu Hancan , Cheng Wangang , Hu Keli , He Guanghua
Published: July 2024

The hippocampus is a critical component of the brain and is associated with many neurological disorders. It can be further subdivided into several subfields, and accurate segmentation of these subfields is of great significance for diagnosis and research. However, the structures of hippocampal subfields are irregular and have complex boundaries, and their voxel values are close to surrounding brain tissues, making the segmentation task highly challenging. Currently, many automatic segmentation tools exist for hippocampal subfield segmentation, but they suffer from high time costs and low segmentation accuracy. In this paper, we propose a new dual-branch segmentation network structure (DSnet) based on deep learning for hippocampal subfield segmentation. While traditional convolutional neural network-based methods are effective in capturing hierarchical structures, they struggle to establish long-term dependencies. The DSnet integrates the Transformer architecture and a hybrid attention mechanism, enhancing the network’s global perceptual capabilities. Moreover, the dual-branch structure of DSnet leverages the segmentation results of the hippocampal region to facilitate the segmentation of its subfields. We validate the efficacy of our algorithm on the public Kulaga-Yoskovitz dataset. Experimental results indicate that our method is more effective in segmenting hippocampal subfields than conventional single-branch network structures. Compared to the classic 3D U-Net, our proposed DSnet improves the average Dice accuracy of hippocampal subfield segmentation by 0.57%.
Expression perceptive fields explain individual differences in the recognition of facial emotions
Authors: Murray Thomas , Binetti Nicola , Venkataramaiyer Raghav , Namboodiri Vinay , Cosker Darren , Viding Essi , Mareschal Isabelle
Published: July 2024

Humans can use the facial expressions of another to infer their emotional state, although it remains unknown how this process occurs. Here we suppose the presence of perceptive fields within expression space, analogous to feature-tuned receptive-fields of early visual cortex. We developed genetic algorithms to explore a multidimensional space of possible expressions and identify those that individuals associated with different emotions. We next defined perceptive fields as probabilistic maps within expression space, and found that they could predict the emotions that individuals infer from expressions presented in a separate task. We found profound individual variability in their size, location, and specificity, and that individuals with more similar perceptive fields had similar interpretations of the emotion communicated by an expression, providing possible channels for social communication. Modelling perceptive fields therefore provides a predictive framework in which to understand how individuals infer emotions from facial expressions.
Unlocking therapeutic potential: exploring cross-talk among emerging nuclear receptors to combat metabolic dysfunction in steatotic liver disease
Authors: Antwi Milton Boaheng , Jennings Ariann , Lefere Sander , Clarisse Dorien , Geerts Anja , Devisscher Lindsey , De Bosscher Karolien
Published: July 2024

Nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate cellular processes and serve as key targets in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and steatohepatitis (MASH). Their ability to interact and influence each other’s signaling pathways introduces a complex yet underexplored dimension in the pharmacotherapy of MASLD and MASH. This review delineates the emerging NRs in this field—estrogen-related receptor alpha (ERRα), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1), and vitamin D receptor (VDR)—and their interplay with established NRs, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARβ/δ, PPARγ), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), liver X receptors (LXR), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α), and thyroid hormone receptor beta (THRβ). We discuss their collective impact on hepatic lipid metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis, and glucose homeostasis. We explore recent findings on dual NR crosstalk, via direct and indirect mechanisms, and discuss the potential of targeting receptor pathways using selective agonists, inverse agonists, antagonists, or specific modulators to combat MASLD and MASH. Elucidating NR interactions opens up new avenues for targeted therapies, emphasizing the critical need for further research in the evolving field of hepatology.
Exploring glycated sites in human serum albumin: impact of sample processing techniques on detection and analysis
Authors: Kumari Namita , Vaishnav Madhumati S. , Srikanta Sathyanarayana , Krishnaswamy P. R. , Bhat Navakanta
Published: July 2024

Different processing methods and enzyme do impact the glycation site analysis of HSA.
Comparison of three sorbents for thin film solid phase microextraction of haloacetic acids from water
Authors: van der Merwe Petra , Forbes Patricia
Published: July 2024

Theoretical and experimental comparison of various sorbent impregnated PDMS thin films for enhanced haloacetic acid disinfection byproduct extraction from water.
Exploration and detection of nitrosamine impurity nitroso-STG-19 in sitagliptin tablets and API as well as nitrites in excipients by LC-MS/MS methods
Authors: Hao Yajie , Fu Juan , Wei Ruixia , Teng Hao , Yin Guang , Cao Qihui , Feng Zhong , Zhang Guimin
Published: July 2024

The mechanism of NTTP formation.
l-Cysteine functionalized magnetite nanoparticle adorned Ti3C2-MXene nanohybrid based screen printed immunosensor for oral cancer biomarker detection
Authors: Choramle Manali , Verma Damini , Kalkal Ashish , Pradhan Rangadhar , Rai Avdhesh Kumar , Packirisamy Gopinath
Published: July 2024

Nanohybrid based non-invasive biosensing platforms are emerging as promising alternatives to detect biomarkers in complex and diverse bio-fluids toward ultrasensitive point-of-care diagnostics.
Investigation of titania and ceria support effects in nickel catalyzed CO2 methanation
Authors: Abir Majed Alam , Phillips Rachel E. , Harrah Joseph Z. M. , Ball Madelyn R.
Published: July 2024

Spectroscopic characterization enables the study of the structure sensitivity of Ni based catalysts on TiO2 and CeO2 for CO methanation.
In situ forming PEG-ε-poly-l-lysine hydrogels with antimicrobial properties for fighting infection
Authors: Dong Quanbin , He Lei , Wang Weixue , Xiong Yurong , Liu Jine , Cheng Xiaoshu , Bao Huihui
Published: July 2024

PEG–PLL hydrogels are an ideal wound dressing for irregular infected wound repair.
Multiplexed immunolabelling of cancer using bioconjugated plasmonic gold–silver alloy nanoparticles
Authors: Darviot Cécile , Gosselin Bryan , Martin Flavie , Patskovsky Sergiy , Jabin Ivan , Bruylants Gilles , Trudel Dominique , Meunier Michel
Published: July 2024

Multiplexed and quantitative detection of analytes in cancer samples using specifically designed bioconjugated gold–silver alloy nanoparticles (NPs), a simple microscope adapter, and user-friendly software for the automated classification of NPs.
Efficiency droop in zincblende InGaN/GaN quantum wells
Authors: Dyer D. , Church S. A. , Ahumada-Lazo R. , Kappers M. J. , Halsall M. P. , Parkinson P. , Wallis D. J. , Oliver R. A. , Binks D. J.
Published: July 2024

Cubic zincblende InGaN/GaN quantum wells are free of the electric fields that reduce recombination efficiency in hexagonal wurtzite wells.
Drag on nanoparticles in a liquid: from slip to stick boundary conditions
Authors: Liu Wangwang , Wang Jun , Xia Guodong , Li Zhigang
Published: July 2024

We propose a density accumulation length to determine the effective particle size, which makes Stokes’ law valid for nanoparticles.
In situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxolane and formation of fluorine/boron-rich interfaces enabled by film-forming additives for long-life lithium metal batteries
Authors: Li Ting , Chen Kai , Yang Borui , Li Kun , Li Bin , He Miao , Yang Liu , Hu Anjun , Long Jianping
Published: July 2024

This work proposes a film-forming Lewis acid additive to promote the in situ polymerization of 1,3-dioxane and the formation of a fluorine/boron rich interface, which enhance the cycling stability of lithium metal batteries.
Universality of critical active site glutamate as an acid–base catalyst in serine hydroxymethyltransferase function
Authors: Drago Victoria N. , Phillips Robert S. , Kovalevsky Andrey
Published: July 2024

Neutron crystallography revealed protonation states in TthSHMT-FA complex. Glu53 is protonated but other residues maintain protonation states upon FA binding. Structural analyses support key roles of Glu53 and gating loop dynamics in SHMT function.
Optimization framework for redox flow battery electrodes with improved microstructural characteristics
Authors: Berkowitz Alina , Caiado Ashley A. , Aravamuthan Sundar Rajan , Roy Aaron , Agar Ertan , Inalpolat Murat
Published: July 2024

This research aims to advance the field of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) by introducing a pioneering approach to optimize the microstructural characteristics of carbon cloth electrodes.
The Compartmental Tongue
Authors: Wrench Alan A.
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

Tongue anatomy and function is widely described as consisting of four extrinsic muscles to control position and four intrinsic muscles to control shape. This myoarchitecture cannot, however, explain independent tongue body and blade movement nor accurately model the subtlety of observed lingual shapes. This study presents the case for a finer neuromuscular structure and functional description.

Method:

Using the theoretical framework of the partitioning hypothesis, evidence for neuromuscular compartments of each of the lingual muscles was discerned by reviewing studies of lingual anatomy, hypoglossal nerve staining, hypoglossal motoneuron axon tracing, muscle fiber type distribution, and electromyography. Muscle fibers of the visible human female were manually traced to produce a three-dimensional atlas of muscular compartments. A kinematic study was undertaken to determine the degree of independent movement between different parts of the tongue. A simple biomechanical model was used to demonstrate how synergistic groups of compartments can control sectors of the tongue.

Results:

Results indicated as many as 10 compartments of genioglossus, two each of superior and inferior longitudinal, eight of styloglossus, three of hyoglossus, and six each of transversus and verticalis, while palatoglossus may not have a significant role in tongue function. Kinematic analysis indicated independent control of five sectors of the tongue body, and biomechanical modeling demonstrated how this control may be achieved.

Conclusion:

Evidence is presented for a lingual structure based on neuromuscular compartments, which work together to position and shape sectors of the tongue and independently control tongue body and blade.
Identifying Separation Potency and Relationship of Grade and Density of Copper Ore for Gravity-Based Early Coarse Gangue Rejection using Statistical Method
Authors: Aslam Izzan Nur , Sedik Samuel Paulus , Albijanic Boris , McGrath Teresa , Wilkie Greg , Usman Husni , Alam Pocut Nurul
Published: July 2024

The mineral processing industry faces a pressing challenge of declining productivity, particularly in metal minerals production, driven by soaring operational costs, with crushing and grinding operations accounting for a substantial portion of the energy consumption. To mitigate these challenges, early gangue rejection or preconcentration is proposed as an effective solution. This approach involves the removal of non-valuable materials and the concentration of valuable minerals at the initial processing stages, leading to increased efficiency, higher ore feed grades, cost savings, and reduced environmental impact. Various methods for gangue rejection exist, with gravity-based separation and ore sorting being the predominant options. Gravity-based separation stands out for its simplicity and versatility, making it the preferred choice in many scenarios. This study introduces a novel approach for evaluating gangue rejection potential, optimizing data distribution, and generating theoretical separation potential curves that account for both grade and density criteria. These curves provide insights into material rejection, metal losses, and optimal separation points, offering valuable guidance for mineral processing operations. Additionally, the study investigates the correlation between raw ore grade and density data, highlighting a strong relationship across different size fractions. This finding suggests that gravity-based separation can effectively rely on both grade and density parameters, resolving previous disparities observed in distribution models. By shedding light on advanced gangue rejection strategies, this research contributes to improved productivity and informed decision-making in the mineral processing industry.
Improving Acid Mine Drainage Treatment through Electrocoagulation: Effect of Time, Electrode Distance, and Electrode Types
Authors: Alam Pocut Nurul , Aslam Izzan Nur , Abdillah Ilham Ridho , Pratama Raihan Nanda , Pontas Komala
Published: July 2024

This study explores the feasibility of employing electrocoagulation technology to manage Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) wastewater, focusing on reducing heavy metal concentrations, particularly iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Samples of AMD liquid waste from PT Lhoong Setia Mining in Aceh Province, Indonesia, underwent electrocoagulation using Al-Zn and Al-Fe electrodes with Direct Current (DC). The investigation considered various parameters, including contact time (ranging from 0 to 45 minutes), electrode distance (2, 2.5, and 3 cm), and electrode type (Al-Fe and Al-Zn). The study revealed that prolonged electrocoagulation increased the reduction of Fe and Mn metals due to enhanced Al(OH)3 formation. While Al-Zn electrodes exhibited rapid coagulant formation initially, Al-Fe electrodes sustained effectiveness throughout the process. Optimal reduction of Fe and Mn concentrations occurred at different electrode distances, emphasizing the critical role of spacing in electrocoagulation efficiency. Furthermore, the electrocoagulation process successfully elevated pH levels within acceptable limits and effectively reduced Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in AMD waste, aligning with regulatory standards. This research underscores the potential for electrocoagulation as a viable technology for mitigating the environmental impact of AMD and addresses knowledge gaps related to efficient pollutant removal in mining wastewater treatment. Future studies should explore parameter optimization and consider transitioning to continuous operation for increased effectiveness, particularly in remote mining locations.
Beneficiation Processing of Magnetite ore from Lampung as Dense Media for Dense Medium Separator in Coal Washing Plant
Authors: Handayani Ismi , Rasyid Muhammad Abdur , Fadhilah Rifdah , Gusti Hyang Iman Kinasih
Published: July 2024

Until recently, coal washing plants in Indonesia are still using imported magnetite from Australia as dense media for dense medium separator units. To be effectively utilized as a dense media, magnetite ore needs to be concentrated to remove gangue minerals so that the final product will have more than 95% magnetic content, 95% weight passing 53 microns, and relative density ranging from 4.9 – 5.2 g/cm3. Experimental studies have been performed at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering ITB to concentrate fine magnetite ores from Lampung Province. Two process routes were chosen: grinding-magnetic separation and magnetic separation-grinding. Products from the two routes were sieve size analyzed, assayed and characterized. Magnetism characteristic was analyzed with VSM and relative density was measured with pycnometer. The first process route products have maximum magnetic content of 99.1% and particle weight passing 53 microns of 95.7%, while the second route have magnetic content of 95.2% and particle passing 53 microns of 97.1%. Concentrates from both routes have the same relative density of 4.5 g/cm3. Characterization by XRF and AAS gives Fe content of 46.6% and 48.8% for the first route product, and 52.1% and 52.9% for the second route. Lampung magnetite ore gives lower magnetism characteristic compare to Australian magnetite ore. Finer particle size gave lower magnetic saturation value, hence lower magnetism.
Extraction of Silicon From Silica Sand by Carbothermic Reduction in Mini DC-EAF
Authors: Tandersen Dale , Sata Yuli Andi , Nizhamul Ulil Amri , Yudaprawira Prasasti , Pambudi Alfian Luhur , Sulakso Wahyu Dwi , Hidayat Taufiq , Zulhan Zulfiadi
Published: July 2024

This study explores silicon extraction from silica sand using different carbon sources: graphite powder, coke, and coconut shell charcoal. Experiments were conducted to assess the influence of carbon source variation and briquetting on metallic silicon production. The silica sand sample was characterized using X-ray fluorescence, while proximate analysis was performed on the coke and coconut shell charcoal reductants. Each experiment used 50 grams of silica sand with varying amounts of carbon sources at a C:SiO2 mole ratio of 1.8:1. The reductants were tested both with and without briquetting using a DC electric arc furnace for 10 minutes. SEM-EDS and X-ray diffraction were employed for result analysis, with comparisons made to other materials. The experiment using coke as a reductant with briquetting yielded the best result with a Si content in the metal of 98.15%. The experiment with a mixture of silica sand and coconut shell charcoal briquette resulted in a SiC product with Si content of 54.46%. The experiment with a mixture of silica sand and graphite briquette resulted in a SiO2 and SiC product with Si content of 43.17%. The experiment without briquetting using coke as a reductant showed a high SiO2 content, as seen from the oxygen content of 36.44%. The experiment without briquetting using coconut shell charcoal as a reductant resulted in a SiO2 and SiC with Si content of 26.64%. The mixture of silica sand and graphite without briquetting produce SiC as a product with Si content of 70.6%.
Processing of Electronic Scrap with Ausmelt TSL Technology
Authors: Adam F. , Wood J. , Andrews R.
Published: July 2024

Continued decreasing of the world’s average copper ore grades, coupled with a meteoric rise in the generation of consumer waste streams, has led to the processing of electronic scrap (e-scrap) and other secondaries assuming increasing importance within the global copper industry. Treatment of these secondary feeds has traditionally been carried out in the Blast furnace, Peirce-Smith converter and/or anode furnace. More recently however, bath smelting processes such as the Ausmelt TSL and Outotec Kaldo technologies have emerged as the preferred option for processing these materials due to their superior environmental performance and flexibility to operate under a wide range of conditions. Furthermore, the ability of these processes to handle a wide range of feed inputs make them ideally placed for the processing of not only e-scrap but also other waste streams from the clean energy transition such as end of life e-mobility batteries and photovoltaic systems. This paper focuses on the processing of electronic scrap and other copper secondaries with Ausmelt TSL technology and discusses specific issues facing secondary copper smelters in relation to impurity management and process offgas handling/cleaning.
High-Temperature Oxidation Behaviour of High Entropy Alloys
Authors: Basuki Eddy Agus , Akbar Mohamad Ali , Syabihis Ahmad Ade , Ahmad Tria Laksana , Korda Akhmad Ardian , Muhammad Fadhli , Prawara Budi , Prajitno Djoko Hadi , Jihad Bagus Hayatul , Setianto Muhamad Hananuputra
Published: July 2024

High-temperature operation, such as in gas turbine engines, is typically limited by the ability of materials to withstand extreme operating conditions. The need for a combination of high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance, as well as microstructural stability, has led to the continued use of nickel-based superalloys as materials for turbine blades, the most critical component in aero gas turbine engines. Due to their limited melting points, materials beyond superalloys are needed to meet increasing fuel efficiency requirements. High entropy alloys have recently been considered as candidates for materials to replace nickel-based superalloys. This paper discusses the microstructures and high-temperature oxidation behavior of Al0.75CoCrCuFeNi high entropy alloy at 900, 1000, and 1100°C. It was found that the oxidation rate constants for Al0.75CoCrCuFeNi oxidized at 900, 1000, and 1100°C are 3.84 x 10-10, 5.99 x 10-10, and 8.97 x 10-10 (mg/cm2.s), respectively, with an activation energy for oxidation of 66.58 kJ/mol.
Shrimp shell waste as a potential corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acid solution
Authors: Safira Faradilla , Muhammad Fachri , Dilasari Bonita
Published: July 2024

Application of corrosion inhibitor is a common method to minimize corrosion reaction of steel in aqueous environments. Research for an effective eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor is required due to the toxicity issues of the most commercially available corrosion inhibitors. Many recent studies have shown that various food waste can be utilized as corrosion inhibitors. Extracting inhibitor compounds from food waste is definitely low cost, less harm, and environmentally beneficial. One example of corrosion inhibitor derived from food waste is a water-soluble chitosan (WSC) inhibitor, which can be extracted from Crustacean shells. This study used shrimp shell waste to extract WSC and test the effectiveness on inhibiting corrosion of mild steel in acid solution. The weight loss method was employed at various inhibitor concentrations and solution types. The overall findings in this study indicate that the WSC extracted from shrimp shell exhibits a good inhibition performance in 0.5 M HCl solution with the efficiency up to 94.31% at a concentration of 3 g/l at room temperature. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and 2.2.7 UV-visible spectroscopy analysis showed that WSC molecules adsorbed on the steel surface and hinder the corrosion reactions.
Effect of Post-Weld Treatment on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Austempered FeNiCr Steel Welded Joint
Authors: Chandra Septian Adi , Zulkarnaen Dhany , Utama Dedi Pria , Roberto Rahadian , Hasbi Muhammad Yunan , Winarto  , Citrawati Fatayalkadri
Published: July 2024

This study investigated isothermally treated FeNiCr structural steel welded joints. The base metal contains various phases which are dominated by a mixture of bainite and martensite. Joining this steel can be challenging since it has high carbon equivalent values and high hardness. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) with austenitic stainless-steel electrodes is used to avoid cold cracking. After the welding process, the samples were subjected to three various post-weld temperatures: 425°C, 475°C, and 525°C. From the tensile test results, the tensile strength of welded joint shows an increase as the temperatures increase. The highest value is reached for a joint sample which treated at 525°C, with a tensile strength of 680 MPa. Conversely, the highest elongation is obtained by the 425°C post-treated sample, which is 14%. The microstructure in the weld metal (WM) area shows a formation of δ-ferrite, whereas the HAZ and BM areas show the presence of bainite and martensite tempered phases with various plate densities, plate size, and plate shapes depending on its post-treatment temperatures, which then affect the value of the hardness.
Chemical Modification of Iron – Rich Beta Intermetallic Phase in Aluminium-Silicon Alloys: A Short Review
Authors: Ferdian Deni , Fauziah Nida , Lacaze Jacques
Published: July 2024

Iron-rich intermetallic phases normally form during solidification of aluminium – silicon alloys with low level of iron. This type of phases is known for creating a mechanical properties degradation, especially the beta intermetallic phase (β-Al9Fe2Si2). Various studies and researches have led to mitigate the harmful effect of these phases through physical separation, thermal treatment or microstructure alteration by chemical neutralization such as with Mn addition which changes their structure into cubic alpha phase (α-Al15(Fe,Mn)3Si2). In this paper, the effect of chemical addition was reviewed and discussed in terms of effectiveness of modifying the crystal structure or morphology of beta intermetallic phase