bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The birth of zinc anode-based electrochromic devices
Authors: Chen Jingwei , Xu Bing , Zhang Yingxin , Zhang Wu , Wang Huanlei , Elezzabi Abdulhakem Y. , Liu Linhua , Yu William W. , Li Haizeng
Published: March 2024

Since the discovery of electrochemical coloration phenomenon, electrochromic devices capable of monitoring transmittance, reflectance, and absorption at designated wavelengths have embraced great achievements. The marriage of electrochemistry and optical modulation has infused fascinating properties in electrochromic devices, which find applications in thermal management, display, smart windows, and camouflage. Inspired by the multipronged advancements in electrochemical devices, the incorporation of multivalent metal ions having rich electrochemistry into electrochromic devices is bloomed in recent years. Zinc, distinguished by its high crustal abundance, suitable standard redox potential, and inherent safety, has facilitated the assembly of highly efficient electrochromic devices. Zinc anode-based electrochromic devices with dual-band (visible and near-infrared) tunability, energy retrieval functions, multi-color options, multiple working modes (transmittance mode and reflectance mode), and scalability have been prominently showcased. Here in this review, the birth of zinc anode-based electrochromic devices will be systematically narrated, starting from the discovery of electrochromic phenomenon, to the evolution of electrochromic devices, and to the latest achievements in zinc anode-based electrochromic devices. Additionally, this review delves into the future development trends and perspectives of zinc anode-based electrochromic devices. This review serves as a handbook, which summarizes the history of electrochromism, introduces the physics behind it, highlights the development in zinc anode-based electrochromic devices, and aims to inspire future endeavors into this field, particularly those focused on developing energy-efficient electrochromic devices.
Fluorescent proteins generate a genetic color polymorphism and counteract oxidative stress in intertidal sea anemones
Authors: Clarke D. Nathaniel , Rose Noah H. , De Meulenaere Evelien , Rosental Benyamin , Pearse John S. , Pearse Vicki Buchsbaum , Deheyn Dimitri D.
Published: March 2024

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are ubiquitous tools in research, yet their endogenous functions in nature are poorly understood. In this work, we describe a combination of functions for FPs in a clade of intertidal sea anemones whose FPs control a genetic color polymorphism together with the ability to combat oxidative stress. Focusing on the underlying genetics of a fluorescent green “Neon” color morph, we show that allelic differences in a single FP gene generate its strong and vibrant color, by increasing both molecular brightness and FP gene expression level. Natural variation in FP sequences also produces differences in antioxidant capacity. We demonstrate that these FPs are strong antioxidants that can protect live cells against oxidative stress. Finally, based on structural modeling of the responsible amino acids, we propose a model for FP antioxidant function that is driven by molecular surface charge. Together, our findings shed light on the multifaceted functions that can co-occur within a single FP and provide a framework for studying the evolution of fluorescence as it balances spectral and physiological functions in nature.
Scanning quantum correlation microscopy with few emitters
Authors: Vasquez-Lozano Jaret J , Li Shuo , Greentree Andrew D
Published: March 2024

Optical superresolution microscopy is an important field, where nonlinear optical processes or prior information is used to defeat the classical diffraction limit of light. Quantum correlation microscopy uses photon arrival statistics from single photon emitters to aid in the determination of properties including the number of emitters and their relative brightness. Here we model quantum correlation microscopy in the few emitter regime, i.e. around four single photon emitters below the diffraction limit. We use the Akaike Information Criterion to determine the number of emitters and we vary the relative contributions of intensity to quantum correlation information to determine contribution that provides optimal imaging. Our results show diffraction unlimited performance and a change in localisation scaling behaviour dependent on emitter closeness.
Optomechanically induced transparency in a hybrid system containing two-level atomic ensemble and optical parametric amplifier
Authors: Yu Gongtao , Pan Guixia
Published: March 2024

We investigate the physical properties of multiple optomechanically induced transparency in a system. The system consists of two charged mechanical resonators and an optical cavity. An optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and a two-level atom ensemble are filled into the optical cavity. Some physical phenomena appear in the system driven by the probe field and the pump field. The width of transparent windows can be manipulated by the coupling strengths of the system. Specifically, the width of the transparency window increases with an increase in the parametric gain of the optical parametric amplifier (OPA). Furthermore, the number of transparent windows and the location of transparent points are also affected by the system parameters. The presence of two-level atomic ensemble causes the double transparent windows to be split three transparent windows. The Coulomb coupling between the two charged mechanical resonators causes the transparent points to move. Our approach provides a great flexibility for manipulating multiple induced transparency. It is helpful to study the quantum properties of nonlinear optical systems.
Multiple scales method for analyzing a forced damped rotational pendulum oscillator with gallows
Authors: Alyousef Haifa A , Salas Alvaro H , Alotaibi B M , El-Tantawy S A
Published: March 2024

This study reports the analytical solution for a generalized rotational pendulum system with gallows and periodic excited forces. The multiple scales method (MSM) is applied to solve the proposed problem. Several types of rotational pendulum oscillators are studied and talked about in detail. These include the forced damped rotating pendulum oscillator with gallows, the damped standard simple pendulum oscillator, and the damped rotating pendulum oscillator without gallows. The MSM first-order approximations for all the cases mentioned are derived in detail. The obtained results are illustrated with concrete numerical examples. The first-order MSM approximations are compared to the fourth-order Runge–Kutta (RK4) numerical approximations. Additionally, the maximum error is estimated for the first-order approximations obtained through the MSM, compared to the numerical approximations obtained by the RK4 method. Furthermore, we conducted a comparative analysis of the outcomes obtained by the used method (MSM) and He-MSM to ascertain their respective levels of precision. The proposed method can be applied to analyze many strong nonlinear oscillatory equations.
Axonal stimulation affects the linear summation of single-point perception in three Argus II users
Authors: Hou Yuchen , Nanduri Devyani , Granley Jacob , Weiland James D , Beyeler Michael
Published: March 2024

Objective. Retinal implants use electrical stimulation to elicit perceived flashes of light (‘phosphenes’). Single-electrode phosphene shape has been shown to vary systematically with stimulus parameters and the retinal location of the stimulating electrode, due to incidental activation of passing nerve fiber bundles. However, this knowledge has yet to be extended to paired-electrode stimulation. Approach. We retrospectively analyzed 3548 phosphene drawings made by three blind participants implanted with an Argus II Retinal Prosthesis. Phosphene shape (characterized by area, perimeter, major and minor axis length) and number of perceived phosphenes were averaged across trials and correlated with the corresponding single-electrode parameters. In addition, the number of phosphenes was correlated with stimulus amplitude and neuroanatomical parameters: electrode-retina and electrode-fovea distance as well as the electrode-electrode distance to (‘between-axon’) and along axon bundles (‘along-axon’). Statistical analyses were conducted using linear regression and partial correlation analysis. Main results. Simple regression revealed that each paired-electrode shape descriptor could be predicted by the sum of the two corresponding single-electrode shape descriptors (p < .001). Multiple regression revealed that paired-electrode phosphene shape was primarily predicted by stimulus amplitude and electrode-fovea distance (p < .05). Interestingly, the number of elicited phosphenes tended to increase with between-axon distance (p < .05), but not with along-axon distance, in two out of three participants. Significance. The shape of phosphenes elicited by paired-electrode stimulation was well predicted by the shape of their corresponding single-electrode phosphenes, suggesting that two-point perception can be expressed as the linear summation of single-point perception. The impact of the between-axon distance on the perceived number of phosphenes provides further evidence in support of the axon map model for epiretinal stimulation. These findings contribute to the growing literature on phosphene perception and have important implications for the design of future retinal prostheses.
Neural network approximation in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick model
Authors: Mishev Stoyan , Savova Margarita
Published: March 2024

In this paper we approximate the wave function of the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model by a simple feed-forward neural network. By using the NetKet toolkit we obtain the ground state energies of LMG systems with different interaction strengths and find out that they are very close to the exact values.
Exploring the potential for nitrogen fertilizer use mitigation with bundles of management interventions
Authors: Folberth Christian , Wood Stephen A , Wironen Michael , Jung Martin , Boucher Timothy M , Bossio Deborah , Obersteiner Michael
Published: March 2024

Mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer use is essential to maintain high-yielding cropping systems that presently provide food for nearly half of humanity. Simultaneously, it causes a range of detrimental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, and contamination of drinking water. There is growing recognition of the need to balance crop production with the impacts of fertilizer use. Here we provide a global assessment of the potential to reduce mineral fertilizer use through four interventions: capping surpluses, enhancing manure cycling to cropland, cultivation of off-season green manures, and cycling of human excreted N to cropland. We find that the combined potential of these interventions is a reduction in global N fertilizer use by 21%–52%. The availability of interventions is spatially heterogeneous with most cropland having three to four interventions available with alternative N sources tending to be more abundant on cropland already receiving fertilizer. Our assessment highlights that these locally in part already practiced interventions bear great opportunities to mitigate synthetic N use and dependency globally. Yet, their limited adoption underpins the need for cross-sectoral policies to overcome barriers to their implementation and agronomic research on their robust scaling.
Global expansion of wildland-urban interface (WUI) and WUI fires: insights from a multiyear worldwide unified database (WUWUI)
Authors: Tang Wenfu , He Cenlin , Emmons Louisa , Zhang Junzhe
Published: March 2024

Fires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are an important issue globally. To understand the change of WUI, we develop a 9 km worldwide unified wildland-urban interface database for 2001–2020 with Random Forest models and satellite data. We find that WUI has been increasing in all populated continents from 2001 to 2020 and the global relative increase is 24%, with the largest relative increase (∼59%) over Africa. Global total fire counts decrease by 10% from 2005 to 2020, whereas the WUI fraction of fire counts increases by 23%. The global total burned area decreases by 22% from 2005 to 2020, whereas the WUI fraction of burned area increases by 35%. These are mainly due to the expansion of WUI area. On all the populated continents, the WUI fractions of fire counts are higher than the WUI fractions of burned area, implying that WUI fires tend to have smaller sizes than wildland fires. We also project future WUI changes for the years 2030 and 2040, together with the projection of future fire burned area under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) scenarios in the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). The projected global WUI fraction (excluding Antarctica and the oceans) is 5.9% in 2040 compared to 4.8% in 2020. The global WUI fraction of burned area is projected to increase from now to 2040 under most scenarios analyzed in this study, unless the WUI area stays at the 2020 level together with the projected burned area under SSP4-4.5. This study is a first step to understanding the changes of WUI fires at the global scale and demonstrates a growing importance of WUI fires. The global multi-year WUI and WUI fire datasets developed in this study can facilitate future work quantifying the impacts of WUI fires on air quality and climate.
Maximally entangled real states and SLOCC invariants: the 3-qutrit case
Authors: Jaffali Hamza , Holweck Frédéric , Oeding Luke
Published: March 2024

The absolute values of polynomial SLOCC invariants (which always vanish on separable states) can be seen as entanglement measures. We study the case of real 3-qutrit systems and discover a new set of maximally entangled states (from the point of view of maximizing the hyperdeterminant). We also study the basic fundamental invariants and find real 3-qutrit states that maximize their absolute values. It is notable that the Aharonov state is a simultaneous maximizer for all three fundamental invariants. We also study the evaluation of these invariants on random real 3-qutrit systems and analyze their behavior using histograms and level-set plots. Finally, we show how to evaluate these invariants on any 3-qutrit state using basic matrix operations.
Effects of high-low frequency electromagnetic radiation on vibrational resonance in Hodgkin–Huxley neuronal system
Authors: Wu Kaijun , Li Jiawei
Published: March 2024

In this paper, based on the Hodgkin–Huxley (H–H) neuron model, the effects of high-low frequency (HLF) electromagnetic radiation on vibrational resonance (VR) in a single neuron is investigated. It is found that VR can be observed in a single H–H neuron model with or without considering HLF electromagnetic radiation. However, HLF electromagnetic radiation can cause changes in the structure of the resonance peaks and make the maximum region and intensity of the response amplitude smaller, which weakens the VR in the neuronal system. This is because the HLF electromagnetic radiation makes the neuronal electrical activities less regular, resulting in weaker synchronization between input low-frequency signal and output firing. In addition, the effects of the system parameters such as the HF electromagnetic radiation amplitude on the Fourier coefficients are investigated, and it is found that these parameters can also cause changes in the number of resonance peaks, resulting in vibrational mono-resonance and vibrational bi-resonances. When the frequency of the HLF electromagnetic radiation is between 0.014 and 0.041, local anti-resonance can be also observed. This has practical significance in reducing some of the unexpected vibration in aerospace engineering and mechanical fields. The HLF electromagnetic radiation plays an important role in weakening the VR of neuronal systems. Therefore, this study could provide new insights to further control the abnormal electrical activities and information transmission of neurons, which can lead to better design and development of therapeutic programs for neurological disorders and neuroplasticity therapies, and advance neuroscience.
Effect of coil and chamber structure on plasma radial uniformity in radio frequency inductively coupled plasma
Authors: ZHAO 赵 Yang 洋 , ZHOU 周 Xiaohua 晓华 , GAO 高 Shengrong 升荣 , SONG 宋 Shasha 莎莎 , ZHAO 赵 Yuzhen 玉真
Published: March 2024

Enhancing plasma uniformity can be achieved by modifying coil and chamber structures in radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to meet the demand for large-area and uniformly distributed plasma in industrial manufacturing. This study utilized a two-dimensional self-consistent fluid model to investigate how different coil configurations and chamber aspect ratios affect the radial uniformity of plasma in radio frequency ICP. The findings indicate that optimizing the radial spacing of the coil enhances plasma uniformity but with a reduction in electron density. Furthermore, optimizing the coil within the ICP reactor, using the interior point method in the Interior Point Optimizer significantly enhances plasma uniformity, elevating it from 56% to 96% within the range of the model sizes. Additionally, when the chamber aspect ratio k changes from 2.8 to 4.7, the plasma distribution changes from a center-high to a saddle-shaped distribution. Moreover, the plasma uniformity becomes worse. Finally, adjusting process parameters, such as increasing source power and gas pressure, can enhance plasma uniformity. These findings contribute to optimizing the etching process by improving plasma radial uniformity.
2024 roadmap on magnetic microscopy techniques and their applications in materials science
Authors: Christensen D V , Staub U , Devidas T R , Kalisky B , Nowack K C , Webb J L , Andersen U L , Huck A , Broadway D A , Wagner K , Maletinsky P , van der Sar T , Du C R , Yacoby A , Collomb D , Bending S , Oral A , Hug H J , Mandru A-O , Neu V , Schumacher H W , Sievers S , Saito H , Khajetoorians A A , Hauptmann N , Baumann S , Eichler A , Degen C L , McCord J , Vogel M , Fiebig M , Fischer P , Hierro-Rodriguez A , Finizio S , Dhesi S S , Donnelly C , Büttner F , Kfir O , Hu W , Zayko S , Eisebitt S , Pfau B , Frömter R , Kläui M , Yasin F S , McMorran B J , Seki S , Yu X , Lubk A , Wolf D , Pryds N , Makarov D , Poggio M
Published: March 2024

Considering the growing interest in magnetic materials for unconventional computing, data storage, and sensor applications, there is active research not only on material synthesis but also characterisation of their properties. In addition to structural and integral magnetic characterisations, imaging of magnetisation patterns, current distributions and magnetic fields at nano- and microscale is of major importance to understand the material responses and qualify them for specific applications. In this roadmap, we aim to cover a broad portfolio of techniques to perform nano- and microscale magnetic imaging using superconducting quantum interference devices, spin centre and Hall effect magnetometries, scanning probe microscopies, x-ray- and electron-based methods as well as magnetooptics and nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging. The roadmap is aimed as a single access point of information for experts in the field as well as the young generation of students outlining prospects of the development of magnetic imaging technologies for the upcoming decade with a focus on physics, materials science, and chemistry of planar, three-dimensional and geometrically curved objects of different material classes including two-dimensional materials, complex oxides, semi-metals, multiferroics, skyrmions, antiferromagnets, frustrated magnets, magnetic molecules/nanoparticles, ionic conductors, superconductors, spintronic and spinorbitronic materials.
Scaling considerations and optimal control for an offshore wind powered direct air capture system
Authors: Radic Webster Stefan , Ishaq Haris , Crawford Curran
Published: March 2024

The optimal design and operation of an offshore wind powered direct air capture (DAC) system is complex owing to the intermittent energy supply and the modularity of the units. A solid amine DAC process involves multiple individual units which undergo periodic loading to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from ambient air, followed by regeneration to produce pure CO2 for utilisation or sequestration. The modular nature of a solid DAC process is exploited in this study to investigate the optimal design and coordinated operation of multiple DAC units mounted on a single 15 MW offshore wind turbine platform, with battery energy storage for additional short term power buffering. Important design parameters considered include the number of independently controllable units, the cyclic capacity of each unit (proportional to the amount of adsorbent) and the battery capacity and maximum power ratings. The design study results highlighted the diminishing returns to the CO2 capture rate with scaling, with a full design optimisation based upon cost estimations left for future work as the technology matures. It was found the optimal configuration was 14 DAC units, each with a cyclic capacity of 2000 kg

CO

2

, giving a total annual capture rate of 45 600 ton yr−1 and a wind utilisation factor of 96.6%. Furthermore, it was found that a rules-based control strategy based on high and low loading limits was competitive with a machine learning based controller and outperformed a model predictive control scheme.
CCUS in India: bridging the gap between action and ambition
Authors: Singh Udayan , Vishal Vikram , Garg Amit
Published: March 2024

India has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070. While targets for CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies are not explicitly set, the Government of India’s agencies and public-sector enterprises have mentioned CCUS approaches conditionally subject to availability of feasible technology and financing. This paper aims to examine the gap between the current status of CCUS in India and the levels of deployment as projected by modeling exercises. It takes a Talanoa dialogue approach to answer the following questions on CCUS perspective in India: where are we right now, where do we need to be, and how do we get there. The current status of CO2 capture in India is at the pilot/demonstration stage, with the chemicals and steel sectors, being the most advanced. Emergence of the methanol economy as a key avenue for CO2 utilization may be seen at a large-scale. Geologic CO2 storage is at an advanced planning stage via enhanced oil recovery, and will likely be targeted over this decade. From the current and planned stage, India would likely need 400–800 Mt-CO2/year by 2050 to meet its share of the 1.5 °C carbon budget. We suggest several priority research directions for technology development across the CCUS value chain.
Ductile fracture prediction of 7A62 high-strength aluminum alloy under a wide range of stress states
Authors: Min Fanlei , Liu Huiping , Zhou Dejing
Published: March 2024

The modified Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) model is employed to predict the ductile fracture of 7A62 high-strength aluminum alloy under a wide range of stress states. Mechanical tests were conducted on specimens with different stress states within the range of −0.33 to 1.35 stress triaxiality, including tension, notched tension, compression, and shear. The results indicate that at high stress triaxialities (0.8 ∼ 1.35), the fracture mechanism is intergranular ductile fracture. Under moderate stress triaxialities (0.33 ∼ 0.8), the fracture mechanism involves a combination of intergranular ductile fracture, void growth, and shear fracture. At low and negative stress triaxialities (−0.33 ∼ 0.33), plastic instability occurs due to uneven stress distribution, leading to shear fracture. Fractography analysis reveals that the fractures occurring under tensile stress are associated with enriched Mn particles of approximately 200 nm. The modified GTN model accurately predicts the load-displacement response, and the fracture paths under various stress states exhibit good consistency with experimental results. This study provides reference for failure prediction in the engineering application of high-strength aluminum alloys.
Dynamics preserving nonstandard finite difference scheme for a microbial population model incorporating environmental stress
Authors: Chapwanya Michael , Dumani Phindile
Published: March 2024

Microbial populations depend on their environment, but can also modify it. 󠀼span style=󠀢color:black󠀢󠀾In addition to󠀼/span󠀾 breaking down complex nutrients for their growth, microbes can exhibit negative behavior by engineering the environment in ways that are detrimental to their proliferation. In this work, a deterministic mathematical model is formulated to include the environmental noise from the toxin-producing microbial population accounting for the switch of cells to dormancy at high concentrations. A dynamically consistent nonstandard finite difference scheme is designed. Theoretical and numerical investigation of the proposed model is presented to provide insight into the conditions that may lead to the extinction of the microbial population.
Effects of rising temperature and prescribed fire on Amblyomma Americanum with ehrlichiosis
Authors: Fulk Alexander , Agusto Folashade
Published: March 2024

Ehrlichiosis is a nationally notifiable disease in the United States and the prevalence of this disease, as with other tick-borne diseases, has been increasing since at least the year 2000. One aspect that has likely contributed to the increase in the prevalence of this disease is rising temperatures due to climate change. A promising method for control of tick populations is prescribed burning. In this study, we develop a detailed compartmental mathematical model for assessing the effect of rising temperatures on Amblyomma americanum populations in endemic and invasion scenarios. The model, which takes the form of an impulsive system of ordinary differential equations, is used to investigate the effects of prescribed burning on infectious ticks to determine if prescribed fire remains effective as temperatures increase under endemic and invasion scenarios. This study shows that, in the absence of prescribed fires, (a) as temperature increases, there are significant increases in the number of infectious questing nymphs and adults. (b) Ehrlichiosis becomes established in the questing nymph and adult tick populations quicker in an invasion scenario as temperature increases. In the presence of prescribed burning, however, our results showed a reduction in the prevalence of infectious questing nymphs and adults. These results with prescribed burning hold regardless of increases in temperature. Thus, this study shows that prescribed burning is an effective control method for Amblyomma americanum even in the presence of increasing temperatures (in the range 2 \degree C to 4 \degree C).
Stochastic alternating structure-adapted proximal gradient descent method with variance reduction for nonconvex nonsmooth optimization
Authors: Jia Zehui , Zhang Wenxing , Cai Xingju , Han Deren
Published: March 2024

The blocky optimization has gained a significant amount of attention in far-reaching practical applications. Following the recent work (M. Nikolova and P. Tan [SIAM J. Optim. 29 (2019), pp. 2053–2078]) on solving a class of nonconvex nonsmooth optimization, we develop a stochastic alternating structure-adapted proximal (s-ASAP) gradient descent method for solving blocky optimization problems. By deploying some state-of-the-art variance reduced gradient estimators (rather than full gradient) in stochastic optimization, the s-ASAP method is applicable to nonconvex optimization whose objective is the sum of a nonsmooth data-fitting term and a finite number of differentiable functions. The sublinear convergence rate of s-ASAP is built upon the proximal point algorithmic framework, whilst the linear convergence rate of s-ASAP is achieved under the error bound condition. Furthermore, the convergence of the sequence produced by s-ASAP is established under the Kurdyka-Łojasiewicz property. Preliminary numerical simulations on some image processing applications demonstrate the compelling performance of the proposed method.
Contrast-Enhanced Endoscopic Ultrasound Detects Early Therapy Response Following Anti-TNF Therapy in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Ellrichmann Mark , Schulte Berenice , Conrad Claudio C , Schoch Stephan , Bethge Johannes , Seeger Marcus , Huber Robert , Goeb Madita , Arlt Alexander , Nikolaus Susanna , Röcken Christoph , Schreiber Stefan
Published: March 2024

Background and Aims

Though colonoscopy plays a crucial role in assessing active ulcerative colitis [aUC], its scope is limited to the mucosal surface. Endoscopic ultrasound [EUS] coupled with contrast-enhancement [dCEUS] can precisely quantify bowel wall thickness and microvascular circulation, potentially enabling the quantitative evaluation of inflammation. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study to assess therapy response using dCEUS in aUC patients undergoing treatment with adalimumab [ADA] or infliximab [IFX].

Methods

Thirty ADA- and 15 IFX-treated aUC patients were examined at baseline and at 2, 6, and 14 weeks of therapy and 48 weeks of follow-up. Bowel wall thickness [BWT] was measured by EUS in the rectum. Vascularity was quantified by dCEUS using rise time [RT] and time to peak [TTP]. Therapy response was defined after 14 weeks using the Mayo Score.

Results

Patients with aUC displayed a mean BWT of 3.9 ± 0.9 mm. In case of response to ADA/IFX a significant reduction in BWT was observed after 2 weeks [p = 0.04], whereas non-responders displayed no significant changes. The TTP was notably accelerated at baseline and significantly normalized by week 2 in responders [p = 0.001], while non-responders exhibited no significant alterations [p = 0.9]. At week 2, the endoscopic Mayo score did not exhibit any changes, thus failing to predict treatment responses.

Conclusion

dCEUS enables the early detection of therapy response in patients with aUC, which serves as a predictive marker for long-term clinical success. Therefore, dCEUS serves as a diagnostic tool for assessing the probability of future therapy success.
The fundamental theorem of natural selection: the end of a story
Authors: Ewens Warren J
Published: March 2024

The direction of research in population genetics theory is currently, and correctly, retrospective, that is directed toward the past. What events in the past have led to the presently observed genetic constitution of a population? This direction is inspired, first, by the large volumes of genomic data now available and, second, by the success of the classical prospective theory in validating the Darwinian theory in terms of Mendelian genetics. However, the prospective theory should not be forgotten, and in that theory, perhaps the most interesting and certainly the most controversial, is Fisher’s so-called “Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection.” This article describes the history and the current status of that theorem.
Taxonomic resolution of different 16S rRNA variable regions varies strongly across plant-associated bacteria
Authors: Hrovat Katarina , Dutilh Bas E , Medema Marnix H , Melkonian Chrats
Published: March 2024

Plant-microbiome research plays a pivotal role in understanding the relationships between plants and their associated microbial communities, with implications for agriculture and ecosystem dynamics. Metabarcoding analysis on variable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene remains the dominant technology to study microbiome diversity in this field. However, the choice of the targeted variable region might affect the outcome of the microbiome studies. In our in silico analysis, we have evaluated whether the targeted variable region has an impact on taxonomic resolution in 16 plant-related microbial genera. Through a comparison of 16S rRNA gene variable regions with whole-genome data, our findings suggest that the V1–V3 region is generally a more suitable option than the widely used V3–V4 region for targeting microbiome analysis in plant-related genera. However, sole reliance on one region could introduce detection biases for specific genera. Thus, we are suggesting that while transitioning to full-length 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequencing for plant-microbiome analysis, the usage of genus-specific variable regions can achieve more precise taxonomic assignments. More broadly, our approach provides a blueprint to identify the most discriminating variable regions of the 16S rRNA gene for genera of interest.
Impacts of preweaning colostrum feeding practices and health measures on dairy cow production, while accounting for genetic potential
Authors: McFarland Elizah D , Elsohaby Ibrahim , Baes Christine F , Stryhn Henrik , Keefe Gregory , McClure J T
Published: March 2024

Calf management and health are essential for setting up the foundation of a productive cow. The objectives of this study were to estimate the impact of preweaning practices on milk production parameters while accounting for an animal’s genetic potential in New Brunswick, Canada. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 220 heifer calves from eight herds born in 2014-2015. Preweaning practices and health data were recorded by producers and reviewed by the herd veterinarian for each calf. The herd veterinarian also visited the farms to collect serum samples from calves and frozen colostrum samples. The production outcomes assessed were milk, protein and fat yields, standardized to 305 d for the first lactation (L1) and a combined group of lactations two and three (L2 + 3). The genomic potential was determined as genomic parent averages (GPA) for the associated production parameters. Analysis was performed with multivariable linear (L1) and linear mixed (L2 + 3) regression models. In L1, for every 1.0 kg increase in weaning weight, milk, protein, and fat yield increased by 25.5, 0.82, and 1.01 kg, respectively (P < 0.006). Colostrum feeding time (CFT) positively impacted L1 milk and protein production, with feeding between 1-2 h of life producing the greatest estimates of 626 kg of milk and 18.2 kg of protein yield (P < 0.007), compared to earlier or later CFT. Fat yield production was decreased by 80.5 kg (P < 0.006) in L1 when evaluating animals that developed a preweaning disease and were not treated with antibiotics compared to healthy untreated animals. Impacts on L2 + 3 were similar across all production outcomes, with a positive interaction effect of CFT and weaning weight. Compared to CFT < 1 h, the later CFT groups of 1-2 h and > 2 h produced greater yield outcomes of 68.2 to 72.6 kg for milk (P < 0.006), 2.06 to 2.15 kg for protein (P < 0.005), and 1.8 to 1.9 kg for fat (P < 0.045) for every 1 kg increase of weaning weight, respectively. The fit of all models was significantly improved with the inclusion of GPA. These results indicate that colostrum management and preweaning health measures impacted production parameters as adults. The inclusion of GPA significantly improved the accuracy of the models, indicating that this can be an important parameter to include in future studies.
TDP-43 pathology in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
Authors: Acewicz Albert , Stępień Tomasz , Grzegorczyk Michał , Ostrowski Robert P , Tarka Sylwia , Felczak Paulina , Wierzba-Bobrowicz Teresa
Published: March 2024

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a fatal, slowly progressive brain disorder caused by a mutated measles virus. Both subacute inflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms appear to play significant roles in the pathogenesis. TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) inclusions are a common co-pathology in several neurodegenerative disorders with diverse pathogenesis. In the present study, we examined brains of 16 autopsied SSPE patients for the presence of TDP-43 pathology and possible associations with tau pathology. Immunohistochemical staining identified TDP-43 inclusions in 31% of SSPE cases. TDP-43 pathology was widely distributed in the brains, most severely in the atrophied cerebral cortex (temporal and parietal), and most frequently as tangle- and thread-like neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions. It was associated with longer disease duration (>4 years) and tau pathology (all TDP-43-positive cases had tau-positive neurofibrillary tangles). This study demonstrates for the first time an association between TDP-43 pathology and SSPE. The co-occurrence of TDP-43 and tau aggregates and correlation with the disease duration suggest that both pathological proteins are involved in the neurodegenerative process induced by viral inflammation.
Escalating climate-related health risks for Hajj pilgrims to Mecca
Authors: Yezli Saber , Ehaideb Salleh , Yassin Yara , Alotaibi Badriah , Bouchama Abderrezak
Published: March 2024

Background

Global temperatures are on the rise, leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves with associated health risks. Heat-related illnesses (HRIs) are an increasing threat for travellers to hot climate destinations. This study was designed to elucidate the interplay between increasing ambient temperatures, incidence of HRIs and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies during the annual Hajj mass gathering over a 40-year period.

Methods

An observational study was conducted utilizing historical records spanning four decades of meteorological data, and the rates of heat stroke (HS) and heat exhaustion (HE) during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. With an annual population exceeding 2 million participants from over 180 countries, the study analysed temporal variations in weather conditions over two distinct Hajj hot cycles and correlated it with the occurrence of HS and HE. The effectiveness of deployed mitigation measures in alleviating health vulnerabilities between the two cycles was also assessed.

Results

Throughout the study period, average dry and wet bulb temperatures in Mecca escalated by 0.4°C (Mann-Kendall P < 0.0001) and 0.2°C (Mann-Kendall P = 0.25) per decade, respectively. Both temperatures were strongly correlated with the incidence of HS and HE (P < 0.001). Despite the intensifying heat, the mitigation strategies including individual, structural and community measures were associated with a substantial 74.6% reduction in HS cases and a 47.6% decrease in case fatality rate.

Conclusion

The study underscores the escalating climate-related health risks in Mecca over the study period. The mitigation measures’ efficacy in such a globally representative setting emphasizes the findings’ generalizability and the importance of refining public health interventions in the face of rising temperatures.
Three-Dimensional Characterization of Dry Particle Coating Structures Originating from the Mechano-fusion Process
Authors: Friebel Judith M , Ditscherlein Ralf , Ditscherlein Lisa , Peuker Urs A
Published: March 2024

Dry particle coating processes are of key importance for creating functionalized materials. By a change in surface structure, initiated during coating, a surface property change and thus functionalization can be achieved. This study introduces an innovative approach employing 3D X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to characterize coated particles, consisting of spherical alumina particles (d50 = 45.64 μm), called hosts, surrounded by spherical polystyrene particles (d50 = 3.5 μm), called guests. The formed structures, hetero-aggregates, are generated by dry particle coating using mechano-fusion (MF). A deeper understanding of the influence of MF process parameters on the coating structures is a crucial step toward tailoring of coating structure, resulting surface property and functionalization. Therefore, the influence of rotational speed, process time, and total mechanical energy input during MF is explored. Leveraging micro-CT data, acquired of coated particles, enables non-stereologically biased and quantitative coating structure analysis. The guest's coating thickness is analyzed using the maximum inscribed sphere and ray method, two different local thickness measurement approaches. Particle-discrete information of the coating structure are available after a proper image processing workflow is implemented. Coating efficiency and guest's neighboring relations (nearest neighbor distance and number of neighbors inside search radius) are evaluated.
Mind the gap: non-local cascades and preferential heating in high-β Alfvénic turbulence
Authors: Gorman Waverly , Klein Kristopher G
Published: March 2024

Characterizing the thermodynamics of turbulent plasmas is key to decoding observable signatures from astrophysical systems. In magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, non-linear interactions between counter-propagating Alfvén waves cascade energy to smaller spatial scales where dissipation heats the protons and electrons. When the thermal pressure far exceeds the magnetic pressure, linear theory predicts a spectral gap at perpendicular scales near the proton gyroradius where Alfvén waves become non-propagating. For simple models of an MHD turbulent cascade that assume only local non-linear interactions, the cascade halts at this gap, preventing energy from reaching smaller scales where electron dissipation dominates, leading to an overestimate of the proton heating rate. In this work, we demonstrate that non-local contributions to the cascade, specifically large-scale shearing and small-scale diffusion, can bridge the non-propagating gap, allowing the cascade to continue to smaller scales. We provide an updated functional form for the proton-to-electron heating ratio accounting for this non-local energy transfer by evaluating a non-local weakened cascade model over a range of temperature and pressure ratios. In plasmas where the thermal pressure dominates the magnetic pressure, we observe that the proton heating is moderated compared to the significant enhancement predicted by local models.
Pre-Modern Astronomies of Eclipses in the Near East and Europe
Authors: E. Nothaft C. Philipp
Published: March 2024

While the study of the solar corona is barely two centuries old, and the study of its physics even more recent, the prediction of eclipses goes back much further in time. A wide variety of theories and techniques put ancient and medieval astronomers in a position to foretell the occurrence and appearance of total solar eclipses. Geographically and chronologically, the following chapter ranges from the ancient Near East to Renaissance Europe, placing a particular focus on the status of eclipses in Hellenistic Greek and later Arabic astronomy and the transmission of the relevant knowledge and tools to Latin Europe during the Middle Ages.
Solar Eclipses across Early Asia
Authors: Steele John
Published: March 2024

Between the ancient astronomer and the modern eclipse-chaser extend centuries and millennia of human engagement with total solar eclipses all around the world—many of them heavily investing their religious beliefs and political import into both prediction and experience. In this chapter, John Steele presents a brief tour of the observation, prediction, and interpretation of solar eclipses across ancient and medieval Asia up to about the year ad 1000. This is no easy task: Asia covers an enormous geographic area, home to a wide range of cultures, languages, and ancient and modern countries. Covering almost three thousand years of human history, Steele focuses his discussion on four case studies: ancient Assyria and Babylonia, India, and China. Apotropaic enterprises such as the practice of the substitute king ritual is an excellent examples for the human attempts to make sense of the cosmic event and to control its effects on earth.
Dante’s Total Eclipses
Authors: Cornish Alison
Published: March 2024

Across history, artists and writers have tried to capture and employ total solar eclipses in their works. In the cultural moment of Dante Alighieri—Italy in the thirteenth and fourteenth century—the wonder, awe, or marvel inspired by eclipses is regularly invoked not as contrary to the scientific pursuit, but as its motivation. The author of the Divine Comedy uses eclipses less as omens of current and impending catastrophe and more as occasions for insight, along the lines of the apocalyptic unveiling. For Dante, eclipses are both obstructions and obfuscations, indicating spiritual darkness, failing, or corruption (as in Dante’s likening of the dislocation of the papacy to Avignon to an eclipse of Rome’s Sun), and, on the other hand, ‘wondrous’ events that trigger new knowledge and insight. Dante uses eclipses to exemplify spiritual realities, such as the qualitative (not quantitative) diversity of goodness in the universe, and the free choice of intelligent beings to wait for illuminating grace.
Weather and the Solar Eclipse
Authors: Harrison Giles
Published: March 2024

This chapter brings our attention back to the larger context of human experience of the environment: the weather, commanding the unpredictable visibility or invisibility of the total solar eclipse. Fascinatingly, despite all human calculations of total solar eclipses across millennia, it is neither knowledge nor logistics, but rather the volatile weather, which has the final say about the eclipse-chaser’s day. Meteorology is generally known as the branch of science concerned with the processes and phenomena of the atmosphere, especially as a means of forecasting the weather. It is also involved with the study of the climate and weather of a region. The exciting dynamics of weather and total solar eclipses not only determine the experience of the viewer from Earth (as we have seen in the former chapters of human and animal responses to eclipses), they also have their own interactions, which Giles Harrison comes to consider as a big meteorological experiment set up and run by Nature herself.
Proteolytic control of the RNA silencing machinery
Authors: Genschik Pascal , Schiaffini Marlene , Lechner Esther
Published: March 2024

Studies in plants were often pioneering in the field of RNA silencing and revealed a broad range of small RNA (sRNA) categories. When associated with ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins, sRNAs play important functions in development, genome integrity, stress responses, and antiviral immunity. Today, most of the protein factors required for the biogenesis of sRNA classes, their amplification through the production of double-stranded RNA, and their function in transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation have been identified. Nevertheless, and despite the importance of RNA silencing, we still know very little about their posttranslational regulation. This is in stark contrast with studies in metazoans, where different modifications such as prolyl hydroxylation, phosphorylation, sumoylation, ubiquitylation, and others have been reported to alter the activity and stability of key factors, such as AGO proteins. Here, we review current knowledge of how key components of the RNA silencing machinery in plants are regulated during development and by microbial hijacking of endogenous proteases.