bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-performance, miniaturized and configurable power and control unit for electrospray thrusters
Authors: Blázquez-Plaza Francisco José , Barrado Andrés , Wijnen Mick
Published: July 2024

Electrospray thrusters offer remarkable efficiency at low power levels and compact form factor, positioning them as promising propulsion systems for small satellite platforms. This paper introduces the design of a miniaturized Power and Control Unit for electrospray thrusters. The system fits within the pocketsat form factor while ensuring high-performance, high-voltage power conversion and effective thrust generation in this propulsion technology. The paper goes through the architecture of the Power and Control Unit and its different subsystems, where the high-performance power converter is studied in detail. The system is built in a 42 $$\times$$
×
42 $$\times$$
×
25 mm3 and 39 g weight stacked hardware unit, achieving a configurable bipolar voltage output with the implemented control algorithm. The system undergoes experimental verification, where a power conversion efficiency over 90% was measured within the output range of 2-10W and 1-2kV, validating soft-start, thruster voltage alternation, and variation of the thruster set point in real time. The final milestone is the successful 7-hour emission test with electrospray thrusters under vacuum conditions, ensuring the system’s suitability for real-world applications related to electrospray propulsion for small satellites.
Using new chemical methods to control water production in oil reservoirs: comparison of mechanical and chemical methods
Authors: Seifi Fatemeh , Haghighat Farshad , Nikravesh Hamed , Kazemzadeh Yousef , Azin Reza , Osfouri Shahriar
Published: July 2024

Effective water management in oil reservoirs is crucial for maximizing hydrocarbon recovery while minimizing environmental degradation. This paper investigates the potential of innovative chemical techniques to control water production in oil reservoirs and compares these methods with traditional mechanical strategies. By reviewing over 70 case studies extensively, this research provides a detailed evaluation of different approaches to managing water cut. The study reveals that chemical methods, particularly those utilizing advanced polymer-based gels, are generally more effective than mechanical techniques. These methods are especially advantageous in settings with high water cuts and geologically complex reservoirs. Chemical treatments provide greater adaptability and cost-efficiency, significantly reducing the environmental impact compared to mechanical approaches. The primary aim of this research is to analyze the sources of water cut and evaluate common water shutoff operations to enhance reservoir management based on specific challenges, reservoir characteristics, and economic considerations. Our findings suggest using a two-step strategy: starting with mechanical control methods and then applying chemical treatments specifically designed for the reservoir’s unique physical properties. This not only improves oil recovery rates but also enhances economic efficiency by extending the reservoirs’ lifespan. Future research should focus on developing cost-effective, environmentally friendly chemical solutions suitable for various geological settings. Such advancements could significantly refine water management practices in oil fields, leading to better economic and environmental outcomes.
Psychobiological responses to choir singing and creative arts activities in children and adolescents with mental disorders: results of a pilot study
Authors: Grebosz-Haring Katarzyna , Thun-Hohenstein Leonhard
Published: July 2024

Background

Children and adolescents living with mental health problems often experience stress and poor mood states, which may influence their quality of life and well-being. Arts interventions may improve mood and well-being and reduce physiological stress in this vulnerable population.

Methods

A cohort of patients in child and adolescent psychiatry (N = 42; age range: 12–18 years) participated in one of four arts activities including choir singing (n = 11), textile design (n = 9), drama (n = 16), and clownery (n = 6). They were led by professional artists and delivered through five consecutive 90-min daily afternoon sessions over the course of 1 week. Questionnaires of mood and saliva samples before and after each session served to assess short-term psychobiological changes. In addition, patients reported their quality of life and well-being at the beginning and at the end of the 1‑week program.

Results

Results showed that alertness was significantly enhanced after textile design (∆post–pre = 4.08, 95% CI [0.77, 7.39]) and after singing (∆post–pre = 2.20, 95% CI [−0.55, 4.94]). Moreover, mood tended to be positively affected by textile design (∆post–pre = 2.89, 95% CI [−0.39, 6.18]). Quality of life increased significantly after singing (∆post–pre = 5.49, 95% CI [1.05, 9.92]). Arts participation except singing was associated with significant reductions in salivary cortisol (sCort) (textile design ∆post–pre = −0.81 ng/mL, 95% CI [−1.48, −0.14]; drama ∆post–pre = −0.76 ng/mL, 95% CI [−1.28, −0.24]; clownery ∆post–pre = −0.74 ng/mL, 95% CI [−1.47, −0.01]). No significant changes were observed for well-being over the whole program and salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) after any of the arts activities.

Discussion

These results suggest that arts participation can improve mood state and reduce stress in young people with mental disorders, but there is a need for further studies.
Combining 3D printing of copper current collectors and electrophoretic deposition of electrode materials for structural lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Martinez Ana C. , Maurel Alexis , Yelamanchi Bharat , Talin A. Alec , Grugeon Sylvie , Panier Stéphane , Dupont Loic , Aranzola Ana , Schiaffino Eva , Sreenivasan Sreeprasad T. , Cortes Pedro , MacDonald Eric
Published: July 2024

Serving as a proof of concept, additive manufacturing and electrophoretic deposition are leveraged in this work to enable structural lithium-ion batteries with load-bearing and energy storage dual functionality. The preparation steps of a complex 3D printed copper current collector, involving the formulation of a photocurable resin formulation, as well as the vat photopolymerization process followed by a precursors-based solution soaking step and thermal post-processing are presented. Compression and microhardness testing onto the resulting 3D printed copper current collector are shown to demonstrate adequate mechanical performance. Electrophoretic deposition of graphite as a negative electrode active material and other additives was then performed onto the 3D printed copper collector, with the intention to demonstrate energy storage functionality. Half-cell electrochemical cycling of the 3D multi-material current collector/negative electrode versus lithium metal finally demonstrates that structural battery components can be successfully obtained through this approach.
The virtual stress boundary method to impose nonconforming Neumann boundary conditions in the material point method
Authors: Given Joel , Liang Yong , Zeng Zhixin , Zhang Xiong , Soga Kenichi
Published: July 2024

The material point method (MPM) is a popular and powerful tool for simulating large deformation problems. The hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian nature of the MPM means that the Lagrangian material points and the Eulerian background mesh are often nonconforming. Once the material and mesh boundaries become misaligned, imposing boundary conditions, such as Neumann boundary conditions (i.e., traction), becomes a challenge. The recently developed virtual stress boundary (VSB) method allows for imposing nonconforming Neumann boundary conditions without explicit knowledge of the boundary position. This is achieved through a problem transformation where the original boundary traction problem is replaced by an equivalent problem featuring a virtual stress field. This equivalent problem results in updated governing equations which are ultimately solved using a combination of particle-wise and cell-wise quadrature. In the current work, a modification to the VSB method is proposed to eliminate the need for cell-wise quadrature. Despite removing cell-wise quadrature, the modified VSB method maintains the accuracy observed in the original approach. Several numerical examples, including 1D and 2D benchmark problems, as well as a 3D demonstration problem, are presented to investigate the accuracy and illustrate the capability of the modified VSB method. Mesh refinement studies are included to show the method’s good convergence behavior.
Tree Branch Characterisation from Point Clouds: a Comprehensive Review
Authors: Hartley Robin J. L. , Jayathunga Sadeepa , Morgenroth Justin , Pearse Grant D.
Published: July 2024

Purpose of Review

Since the late 1990s, researchers have been increasingly utilising digital methodologies to assess the branch structure of trees. The emergence of commercial terrestrial laser scanners during this period catalysed an entirely new domain focused on point cloud-based research. Over the years, this field has transformed from a complex computational discipline into a practical tool that effectively supports research endeavours. Through the combined use of non-destructive remote sensing techniques and advanced analytical methods, branch characterisation can now be carried out at an unprecedented level.

Recent Findings

While terrestrial laser scanning has traditionally been the dominant methodology for this research domain, the increased use of mobile laser scanners and unmanned aerial vehicles indicates a transition towards more mobile platforms. Quantitative structural modelling (QSM) has been pivotal in advancing this field, enhancing branch characterisation capabilities across diverse fields. The past five years have seen increased uptake of 2D and 3D deep learning techniques as alternatives.

This article presents a comprehensive synthesis of approximately 25 years of research in the field of digital branch characterisation, reviewing the data capture technologies and analytical methods, along with the forest types and tree species to which these technologies have been applied. It explores the current trends in this dynamic field of research, research gaps and some of the key challenges that remain within this field. In this review, we placed particular emphasis on the potential resolution of the significant challenge associated with occlusion through the utilisation of mobile technologies, such as mobile laser scanners and unmanned aerial vehicles. We highlight the need for a more cohesive method for assessing point cloud quality and derived structural model accuracy, and benchmarking data sets that can be used to test new and existing algorithms.
Rdfinet: reference-guided directional diverse face inpainting network
Authors: Chen Qingyang , Qiang Zhengping , Zhao Yue , Lin Hong , He Libo , Dai Fei
Published: July 2024

The majority of existing face inpainting methods primarily focus on generating a single result that visually resembles the original image. The generation of diverse and plausible results has emerged as a new branch in image restoration, often referred to as “Pluralistic Image Completion”. However, most diversity methods simply use random latent vectors to generate multiple results, leading to uncontrollable outcomes. To overcome these limitations, we introduce a novel architecture known as the Reference-Guided Directional Diverse Face Inpainting Network. In this paper, instead of using a background image as reference, which is typically used in image restoration, we have used a face image, which can have many different characteristics from the original image, including but not limited to gender and age, to serve as a reference face style. Our network firstly infers the semantic information of the masked face, i.e., the face parsing map, based on the partial image and its mask, which subsequently guides and constrains directional diverse generator network. The network will learn the distribution of face images from different domains in a low-dimensional manifold space. To validate our method, we conducted extensive experiments on the CelebAMask-HQ dataset. Our method not only produces high-quality oriented diverse results but also complements the images with the style of the reference face image. Additionally, our diverse results maintain correct facial feature distribution and sizes, rather than being random. Our network has achieved SOTA results in face diverse inpainting when writing. Code will is available at https://github.com/nothingwithyou/RDFINet.
Identification of sliding surface and classification of landslide warning based on the integration of surface and deep displacement under normal distribution theory
Authors: Wang Dong , Wang Yanting , Li Guanghe , Wang Laigui , Zhou Zhiwei , Du Yongzhi , Ding Chunjian
Published: July 2024

Advanced identification of the potential sliding surface of a slope and accurate early warning are crucial prerequisites for effective management of landslides and timely and prevention of catastrophic accidents. This study analyzes the statistical characteristics of landslide displacement evolution. Based on the normal distribution theory, random variables of displacement velocity and acceleration with random errors are introduced into the analysis of surface displacement information, and random variables of relative displacement with random errors are introduced into the analysis of deep displacement information. When the random variables do not follow the normal distribution, the warning time can be obtained. Therefore, an advanced landslide classification warning method is established. The analysis results showed that analysis results from the April 30 landslide project at an open pit mine indicate that the earliest warning time for landslide initiation is 2020/2/19, while the earliest warnings for acceleration occur on 2020/4/15 and the fast acceleration on 2020/4/25. These three-level warning times align with reality, and the inferred slip surface position corresponds to the actual weak layer range. The primary power source driving landslide originates from behind the sliding body which subsequently pushes rock mass along weak layers near the south wing, north wing, and front in succession. Research findings can enhance landslide warning accuracy, facilitate advance identification of sliding surface, provide scientific basis for open-pit slope engineering design, as well as mitigate casualties and property losses.
A Survey of Controller Placement Problem in SDN-IoT Network
Authors: Abderrahmane Amel , Drid Hamza , Behaz Amel
Published: July 2024

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the billions of intelligent physical devices connected to the Internet for collecting and sharing data. However, implementing IoT in large-scale industrial applications presents numerous challenges, including network management and scalability. These challenges encompass: complex network management tasks that are increasingly difficult to maintain, increased network resource usage, mobility, and high energy consumption. Software-defined networking (SDN) addresses these limitations by enforcing centralized control of all devices and leveraging a global network view. SDN is a networking paradigm that separates the control plane from the data plane, allowing managers to centralize the control of the network infrastructure. For large networks, such as IoT networks, multiple controllers are needed to manage the network efficiently. The Controller Placement Problem (CPP) involves the challenge of deploying the optimal number of controllers in a network while satisfying specific performance requirements such as latency, load balancing, and computation time. This paper provides an overview of recent research efforts addressing CPP issues in the SDN-IoT domain.
Process science: the interdisciplinary study of socio-technical change
Authors: Brocke Jan vom , van der Aalst Wil M. P. , Berente Nicholas , van Dongen Boudewijn , Grisold Thomas , Kremser Waldemar , Mendling Jan , Pentland Brian T. , Roeglinger Maximilian , Rosemann Michael , Weber Barbara
Published: July 2024

Process science is the interdisciplinary study of socio-technical processes. Socio-technical processes involve coherent series of changes over time, entailing actions and events that include humans and digital technologies. The ubiquitous availability of digital trace data, combined with advanced data analytics capabilities, offer new and unprecedented opportunities to study such processes through multiple data sources. Process science is concerned with describing, explaining, and intervening in socio-technical change. It is based on four key principles; it (1) puts socio-technical processes at the center of attention, (2) investigates socio-technical processes scientifically, (3) embraces perspectives of multiple disciplines, and (4) aims to create impact by actively shaping the unfolding of socio-technical processes.
Pattern of diseases in medical wards of a tertiary care hospital of Lahore: a retrospective study
Authors: Rahim Arzoo , Khurshid Nadia , Mukhtar M. Umer
Published: July 2024

Aim

The study was conducted to determine the frequency of different diseases encountered in a medical ward of a tertiary care hospital.

Subject and methods

This was a cross-sectional study carried out in the Department of Medicine at Mayo Hospital Lahore using medical records of admitted patients from September to November 2021.

Results

A total of 381 patients were included in the study. The age group with the highest admission was 56–60 years. Decompensated Chronic Liver Disease was the most common disease (19.4%), followed by Ischemic Heart Disease (17.3%), Septic shock/Septicemia (9.4%), Cerebrovascular Accident (8.4%), Meningoencephalitis (7.3%) & Chronic Kidney Disease (6.6%).

Conclusion

Knowledge about the most prevalent diseases in medical wards can help guide future policy making & better management of diseases on a day to day basis.
Convergence of hybrid slice sampling via spectral gap
Authors: Łatuszyński Krzysztof , Rudolf Daniel
Published: July 2024

It is known that the simple slice sampler has robust convergence properties; however, the class of problems where it can be implemented is limited. In contrast, we consider hybrid slice samplers which are easily implementable and where another Markov chain approximately samples the uniform distribution on each slice. Under appropriate assumptions on the Markov chain on the slice, we give a lower bound and an upper bound of the spectral gap of the hybrid slice sampler in terms of the spectral gap of the simple slice sampler. An immediate consequence of this is that the spectral gap and geometric ergodicity of the hybrid slice sampler can be concluded from the spectral gap and geometric ergodicity of the simple version, which is very well understood. These results indicate that robustness properties of the simple slice sampler are inherited by (appropriately designed) easily implementable hybrid versions. We apply the developed theory and analyze a number of specific algorithms, such as the stepping-out shrinkage slice sampling, hit-and-run slice sampling on a class of multivariate targets, and an easily implementable combination of both procedures on multidimensional bimodal densities.
Dynamics of a magnetic particle in an oscillating magnetic field subject to a shear flow
Authors: Misra I. , Kumaran V.
Published: July 2024

The orientational dynamics of a spherical magnetic particle in linear shear flow subjected to an oscillating magnetic field in the flow plane is analysed in the viscous limit. The shear is in the

$X$

–

$Y$

plane, the magnetic field is in the

$X$

direction and the vorticity is perpendicular to the flow in the

$Z$

direction. The relevant dimensionless groups are

$\omega ^\ast$

, the ratio of the frequency of the magnetic field and the strain rate, and

$\varSigma$

, the ratio of the magnetic and hydrodynamic torques. As

$\varSigma$

is decreased, there is a transition from in-plane rotation, where the rotation is in the flow (

$X$

–

$Y$

) plane, to out-of-plane rotation, where the orientation vector is not necessarily in the

$X$

–

$Y$

plane and the dynamics depends on the initial orientation. The particle rotation is phase-locked for in-plane rotation with discrete odd rotation number (number of rotations in one period of magnetic field oscillation), while the orbits are quasi-periodic with non-integer rotation number for out-of-plane rotation. For

$\varSigma \gg 1$

, regions of odd rotation number

$n_o$

are bound by the lines

$8 (n_o-1) \varSigma \omega ^\ast = 1$

and

$8 (n_o+1) \varSigma \omega ^\ast = 1$

, and there are discontinuous changes in the rotation number and mean and root-mean-square torque at these lines. For

$\varSigma \ll 1$

, the domains of in-plane rotation of finite width in the

$\omega ^\ast$

–

$\varSigma$

plane extend into downward cusps at

$\omega ^\ast = {1}/{2 n_o}$

. The orbits are quasi-periodic between these domains, where the rotation is out of plane.
Assessing Subsurface Gas Storage Security for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Transition
Authors: Pan Ziqing , Jin Zhijun , Li Gensheng , Zhang Kaiqiang
Published: July 2024

Subsurface gas storage is crucial for achieving a sustainable energy future, as it helps to reduce CO2 emissions and facilitates the provision of renewable energy sources. The confinement effect of the nanopores in caprock induces distinctive thermophysical properties and fluid dynamics. In this paper, we present a multi‐scale study to characterize the subsurface transport of CO2, CH4, and H2. A nanoscale‐extended volume‐translated Cubic‐Plus‐Association equation of state was developed and incorporated in a field‐scale numerical simulation, based on a full reservoir‐caprock suite model. Results suggest that in the transition from nanoscale to bulk‐scale, gas solubility in water decreases while phase density and interfacial tension increase. For the first time, a power law relationship was identified between the capillary pressure within nanopores and the pore size. Controlled by buoyancy, viscous force and capillary pressure, gases transport vertically and horizontally in reservoir and caprock. H2 has the maximum potential to move upward and the lowest areal sweep efficiency; in short term, CH4 is more prone to upward migration compared to CO2, while in long term, CH4 and CO2 perform comparably. Thicker caprock and larger caprock pore size generally bring greater upward inclination. Gases penetrate the caprock when CH4 is stored with a caprock thickness smaller than 28 m or H2 is stored with a caprock pore size of 2–10 nm or larger than 100 nm. This study sheds light on the fluid properties and dynamics in nanoconfined environment and is expected to contribute to the safe implementation of gigatonne scale subsurface gas storage.
Radial and Vertical Structures of Plasma Disk in Jupiter's Middle Magnetosphere
Authors: Wang Jian‐Zhao , Bagenal Fran , Wilson Robert J. , Nerney Edward , Ebert Robert W. , Valek Philip W. , Allegrini Frederic
Published: July 2024

The Juno mission flew through the plasma disk near the equator in Jupiter's magnetosphere frequently. We identify 274 plasma disk crossings of Juno between 10 and 40 RJ from PJ5 to PJ44. Using a forward modeling method that combines the JADE‐I time‐of‐flight and SPECIES data sets, we perform a survey of ion properties in the plasma disk. Ions are heated from 1.5 to 6 keV between 15 and 30 RJ. Density and temperature are locally anti‐correlated. Assumed to be related to centrifugal instabilities, cold, dense plasma are commonly observed near midnight. Plasma corotates around Jupiter and the rigid corotation breaks down outside 15–20 RJ. The plasma bulk velocity increases from the post‐dusk sector to the pre‐dawn sector featuring injection flows in the pre‐dawn sector, which is consistent with the Vasyliunas cycle. Strong outflows (>100 km/s) are commonly observed outside 20 RJ and the average radial velocity increases with radial distance. The ion abundance changes between 10 and 18 RJ and that might indicate plasma sources and/or sinks near Europa and Ganymede. The vertical distribution of ions is controlled by the balance between centrifugal, pressure gradient, and ambipolar electric field forces. An example near the M‐shell of 13.5 shows that average plasma temperature increases by a factor of 10 from the disk center to edge, because cold ions are more confined near the equator. Lighter ions with higher charge states have more mobility along the field line and have larger scale heights. The observations are compared with multi‐species diffusive equilibrium model.
A Novel Model of Hydraulic Aperture for Rough Single Fracture: Insights From Fluid Inertial and Fracture Geometry Effects
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Liu Xiaoli , Wang Enzhi , Qian Ruipeng , Wang Mingyang , Ma Qing
Published: July 2024

Previous studies pointed out that the hydraulic aperture (bh) is solely dependent on the geometric features of a fracture, independent of fluid inertia effects. Here we present an inertial hydraulic aperture (bih) that considers the fluid inertial effect and fracture geometry effect by massive direct numerical simulations of fluid flow in real and artificial 3‐D fractures. Simulation results indicate that with an increase in Reynolds number (Re), the evolution eddy volume ratio exhibits three distinct stages: stable stage (Re < 1), fluctuating stage (1 ≤ Re ≤ 10), and increasing to stable stage (Re > 10). These stages correspond to the transition of flow regimes from the viscous Darcy regime to the weak inertia regime, and further developing into the strong inertia regime. Among them, Re = 1 can be considered as the critical point for the onset of the non‐Darcy flow. Furthermore, As Re increases, the evolution of bih exhibits four stages influenced by fluid inertia effects and main flow width in the fracture: stability, slight increase, slight decrease, and rapid increase. Then, based on 892 sets of simulation results (Re ≥ 1), the expression of bih was obtained using Gene Expression Programming. Compared to the four existing empirical models of bh, the present bih exhibits the highest accuracy and the lowest errors (R2 = 0.994, MAE = 0.008, RMSE = 0.013). Finally, the proposed bih is further employed to modify the Forchheimer equation. This study enhances the understanding of hydraulic conductivity in 3‐D rough single fractures.
Light absorption enhancement of black carbon in a pyrocumulonimbus cloud
Authors: Beeler Payton , Kumar Joshin , Schwarz Joshua P. , Adachi Kouji , Fierce Laura , Perring Anne E. , Katich J. M. , Chakrabarty Rajan K.
Published: July 2024

Pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) firestorm systems have been shown to inject significant amounts of black carbon (BC) to the stratosphere with a residence time of several months. Injected BC warms the local stratospheric air, consequently perturbing transport and hence spatial distributions of ozone and water vapor. A distinguishing feature of BC-containing particles residing within pyroCb smoke is their thick surface coatings made of condensed organic matter. When coated with non-refractory materials, BC’s absorption is enhanced, yet the absorption enhancement factor (Eabs) for pyroCb BC is not well constrained. Here, we perform particle-scale measurements of BC mass, morphology, and coating thickness from inside a pyroCb cloud and quantify Eabs using an established particle-resolved BC optics model. We find that the population-averaged Eabs for BC asymptotes to 2.0 with increasing coating thickness. This value denotes the upper limit of Eabs for thickly coated BC in the atmosphere. Our results provide observationally constrained parameterizations of BC absorption for improved radiative transfer calculations of pyroCb events.
Oxytocin induces the formation of distinctive cortical representations and cognitions biased toward familiar mice
Authors: Wolf David , Hartig Renée , Zhuo Yi , Scheller Max F. , Articus Mirko , Moor Marcel , Grinevich Valery , Linster Christiane , Russo Eleonora , Weber-Fahr Wolfgang , Reinwald Jonathan R. , Kelsch Wolfgang
Published: July 2024

Social recognition is essential for the formation of social structures. Many times, recognition comes with lesser exploration of familiar animals. This lesser exploration has led to the assumption that recognition may be a habituation memory. The underlying memory mechanisms and the thereby acquired cortical representations of familiar mice have remained largely unknown, however. Here, we introduce an approach directly examining the recognition process from volatile body odors among male mice. We show that volatile body odors emitted by mice are sufficient to identify individuals and that more salience is assigned to familiar mice. Familiarity is encoded by reinforced population responses in two olfactory cortex hubs and communicated to other brain regions. The underlying oxytocin-induced plasticity promotes the separation of the cortical representations of familiar from other mice. In summary, neuronal encoding of familiar animals is distinct and utilizes the cortical representational space more broadly, promoting storage of complex social relationships.
Depolymerization mechanisms and closed-loop assessment in polyester waste recycling
Authors: Cao Jingjing , Liang Huaxing , Yang Jie , Zhu Zhiyang , Deng Jin , Li Xiaodong , Elimelech Menachem , Lu Xinglin
Published: July 2024

Alcoholysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) waste to produce monomers, including methanolysis to yield dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and glycolysis to generate bis-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET), is a promising strategy in PET waste management. Here, we introduce an efficient PET-alcoholysis approach utilizing an oxygen-vacancy (Vo)-rich catalyst under air, achieving space time yield (STY) of 505.2 gDMT·gcat−1·h−1 and 957.1 gBHET·gcat−1·h−1, these results represent 51-fold and 28-fold performance enhancements compared to reactions conducted under N2. In situ spectroscopy, in combination with density functional theory calculations, elucidates the reaction pathways of PET depolymerization. The process involves O2-assisted activation of CH3OH to form CH3OH* and OOH* species at Vo-Zn2+–O–Fe3+ sites, highlighting the critical role of Vo-Zn2+–O–Fe3+ sites in ester bond activation and C–O bond cleavage. Moreover, a life cycle assessment demonstrates the viability of our approach in closed-loop recycling, achieving 56.0% energy savings and 44.5% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions. Notably, utilizing PET textile scrap further leads to 58.4% reduction in initial total operating costs. This research offers a sustainable solution to the challenge of PET waste accumulation.
Cook and Move for Your Life, an eHealth intervention for women with breast cancer
Authors: Greenlee Heather , Rillamas-Sun Eileen , Yung Rachel L. , Cobos Sofia , Donzella Sidney M. , Huang Yuhan , Schattenkerk Liza , Ueland Katherine , VanDoren Matthew , Myers Samantha A. , Garcia Gino , King Theresa , Santiago-Torres Margarita , Di Chongzhi , Dey Neelendu , Guthrie Katherine A. , Davidson Nancy E.
Published: July 2024

We tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an online diet and physical activity program for women with early-stage breast cancer who had completed surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (ongoing endocrine therapy allowed). Participants with low fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption and/or low moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels were randomized to one of two doses - low (one Zoom group session) or high (12 Zoom group sessions) - of an online lifestyle program with the goal of improving F/V intake and MVPA. All participants received eHealth communications (text messages, study website access), a Fitbit, and a WiFi-enabled scale. Primary objectives evaluated feasibility. Secondary objectives compared the 6-month change in F/V intake and MVPA between the two dose groups. Seventy-four women (mean age = 58.4 years; 87% non-Hispanic White; mean time since diagnosis = 4.6 years) were accrued. Among women in the low dose group, 94% attended the single session; among women in the high dose group, 84% attended at least 8 of the 12 sessions. Retention at 6 months was 93%. High relative to low dose participants consumed 1.5 more servings/day of F/V at 6 months (P = 0.007) but MVPA levels did not differ between groups. We successfully implemented an online lifestyle program for early-stage breast cancer survivors. The high dose intervention demonstrated preliminary efficacy in improving F/V consumption in early-stage breast cancer survivors. Future trials can test the intervention in a larger and more diverse population of breast cancer survivors.
Predicting multiple taste sensations with a multiobjective machine learning method
Authors: Androutsos Lampros , Pallante Lorenzo , Bompotas Agorakis , Stojceski Filip , Grasso Gianvito , Piga Dario , Di Benedetto Giacomo , Alexakos Christos , Kalogeras Athanasios , Theofilatos Konstantinos , Deriu Marco A. , Mavroudi Seferina
Published: July 2024

Taste perception plays a pivotal role in guiding nutrient intake and aiding in the avoidance of potentially harmful substances through five basic tastes - sweet, bitter, umami, salty, and sour. Taste perception originates from molecular interactions in the oral cavity between taste receptors and chemical tastants. Hence, the recognition of taste receptors and the subsequent perception of taste heavily rely on the physicochemical properties of food ingredients. In recent years, several advances have been made towards the development of machine learning-based algorithms to classify chemical compounds’ tastes using their molecular structures. Despite the great efforts, there remains significant room for improvement in developing multi-class models to predict the entire spectrum of basic tastes. Here, we present a multi-class predictor aimed at distinguishing bitter, sweet, and umami, from other taste sensations. The development of a multi-class taste predictor paves the way for a comprehensive understanding of the chemical attributes associated with each fundamental taste. It also opens the potential for integration into the evolving realm of multi-sensory perception, which encompasses visual, tactile, and olfactory sensations to holistically characterize flavour perception. This concept holds promise for introducing innovative methodologies in the rational design of foods, including pre-determining specific tastes and engineering complementary diets to augment traditional pharmacological treatments.
Neutral evolution of snoRNA Host Gene long non-coding RNA affects cell fate control
Authors: Vietri Rudan Matteo , Sipilä Kalle H , Philippeos Christina , Ganier Clarisse , Bhosale Priyanka G , Negri Victor A , Watt Fiona M
Published: July 2024

A fundamental challenge in molecular biology is to understand how evolving genomes can acquire new functions. Actively transcribed, non-coding parts of the genome provide a potential platform for the development of new functional sequences, but their biological and evolutionary roles remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that a set of neutrally evolving long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) whose introns encode small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA Host Genes, SNHGs) are highly expressed in skin and dysregulated in inflammatory conditions. Using SNHG7 and human epidermal keratinocytes as a model, we describe a mechanism by which these lncRNAs can increase self-renewal and inhibit differentiation. The activity of SNHG7 lncRNA has been recently acquired in the primate lineage and depends on a short sequence required for microRNA binding. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of understanding the role of fast-evolving transcripts in normal and diseased epithelia, and show how poorly conserved, actively transcribed non-coding sequences can participate in the evolution of genomic functionality.
Spiking neural networks for nonlinear regression of complex transient signals on sustainable neuromorphic processors
Authors: Stoffel Marcus , Tandale Saurabh Balkrishna
Published: July 2024

In recent years, spiking neural networks were introduced in science as the third generation of artificial neural networks leading to a tremendous energy saving on neuromorphic processors. This sustainable effect is due to the sparse nature of signal processing in-between spiking neurons leading to much less scalar multiplications as in second-generation networks. The spiking neuron’s efficiency is even more pronounced by their inherently recurrent nature being useful for recursive function approximations. We believe that there is a need for a general regression framework for SNNs to explore the high potential of neuromorphic computations. However, besides many classification studies with SNNs in the literature, nonlinear neuromorphic regression analysis represents a gap in research. Hence, we propose a general SNN approach for function approximation applicable for complex transient signal processing taking surrogate gradients due to the discontinuous spike representation into account. However, to pay attention to the need for high memory access during deep SNN network communications, additional spiking Legrendre Memory Units are introduced in the neuromorphic architecture. Path-dependencies and evolutions of signals can be tackled in this way. Furthermore, interfaces between real physical and binary spiking values are necessary. Following this intention, a hybrid approach is introduced, exhibiting an autoencoding strategy between dense and spiking layers. However, to verify the presented framework of nonlinear regression for a wide spectrum of scientific purposes, we see the need for obtaining realistic complex transient short-time signals by an extensive experimental set-up. Hence, a measurement technique for benchmark experiments is proposed with high-frequency oscillations measured by capacitive and piezoelectric sensors resulting in wave propagations and inelastic solid deformations to be predicted by the developed SNN regression analysis. Hence, the proposed nonlinear regression framework can be deployed to a wide range of scientific and technical applications.
Experimental demonstration of magnetic tunnel junction-based computational random-access memory
Authors: Lv Yang , Zink Brandon R. , Bloom Robert P. , Cılasun Hüsrev , Khanal Pravin , Resch Salonik , Chowdhury Zamshed , Habiboglu Ali , Wang Weigang , Sapatnekar Sachin S. , Karpuzcu Ulya , Wang Jian-Ping
Published: July 2024

The conventional computing paradigm struggles to fulfill the rapidly growing demands from emerging applications, especially those for machine intelligence because much of the power and energy is consumed by constant data transfers between logic and memory modules. A new paradigm, called “computational random-access memory (CRAM),” has emerged to address this fundamental limitation. CRAM performs logic operations directly using the memory cells themselves, without having the data ever leave the memory. The energy and performance benefits of CRAM for both conventional and emerging applications have been well established by prior numerical studies. However, there is a lack of experimental demonstration and study of CRAM to evaluate its computational accuracy, which is a realistic and application-critical metric for its technological feasibility and competitiveness. In this work, a CRAM array based on magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is experimentally demonstrated. First, basic memory operations, as well as 2-, 3-, and 5-input logic operations, are studied. Then, a 1-bit full adder with two different designs is demonstrated. Based on the experimental results, a suite of models has been developed to characterize the accuracy of CRAM computation. Scalar addition, multiplication, and matrix multiplication, which are essential building blocks for many conventional and machine intelligence applications, are evaluated and show promising accuracy performance. With the confirmation of MTJ-based CRAM’s accuracy, there is a strong case that this technology will have a significant impact on power- and energy-demanding applications of machine intelligence.
High-entropy intermetallics: emerging inorganic materials for designing high-performance catalysts
Authors: Nakaya Yuki , Furukawa Shinya
Published: July 2024

High-entropy intermetallics have several advantages over disordered high-entropy alloys, e.g., greater tunability, multifunctionality, structural/thermal stability, more facile site isolation, and more precise control of electronic structures.
Development and validation of a portable membrane inlet mass spectrometry method for the measurement of monoaromatic hydrocarbons in water from a river canal
Authors: Kartalović Brankica , Vujić Djordje , Ilić Daria , Brkić Boris
Published: July 2024

This work reports the validation of an analytical method for the determination of monoaromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) using a portable membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS) with a quadrupole mass analyser.
Annulative coupling of α-substituted acrylic acids and sulfoxonium ylides: easy access to bioactive γ-butyrolactones
Authors: Kumar Naveen , Pandey Satyendra Kumar
Published: July 2024

An efficient, straightforward, catalyst- and additive-free synthetic approach for easily accessing keto γ-butyrolactones using readily available β-keto sulfoxonium ylides and acrylic acids has been described.
Substrate-induced assembly of cascade enzymes and catalytic surfactants: nanoarchitectonics at the oil-in-water droplet interface
Authors: Priyanka  , Kaur Manpreet , Maiti Subhabrata
Published: July 2024

We show that the heterogeneity of a synthetic oil-in-water droplet interface can be achieved via substrate-induced clustering of cascade enzymes and catalytic surfactants.
Prediction of high thermal rectification behavior in carbon/C3N heteronanotubes based on nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Xing Zhibo , Liu Yingguang , Wu Ning , Wang Shuo , Zhang Xutao
Published: July 2024

Carbon/C3N heteronanotubes were constructed and their thermal rectification effects were explored through nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations.
Wavefunction theory and density functional theory analysis of ground and excited electronic states of TaB and WB
Authors: Ariyarathna Isuru R.
Published: July 2024

Full potential energy curves, electronic configurations, spectroscopic parameters, dipole moments, and energetics of ground and excited electronic states of TaB and WB were studied using MRCI, MRCI+Q, CCSD(T), and DFT levels of theory.
First-principles studies of gas molecule adsorption on a LaB6(100) surface
Authors: Wang Rui , Ding Z. J.
Published: July 2024

First-principles calculations were employed to study the molecular and dissociative adsorption of CO2, H2O, O2 and N2 on a LaB6(100) surface.
Exploring the synthetic potential of dihydroxyacetone-aldolases from acidophilic organisms
Authors: Paulat Léo , Gastaldi Cédric , Nauton Lionel , Theveniot Mariline , Joly Muriel , Petit Jean-Louis , de Berardinis Véronique , Hélaine Virgil , Guérard-Hélaine Christine
Published: July 2024

Two novel dihydroxyacetone-aldolases showcase unique characteristics, distinguishing them from the E. coli counterpart. They enable efficient synthesis of a diverse array of known monosaccharides along with novel compounds previously inaccessible.
Graph neural networks for identifying protein-reactive compounds
Authors: Cano Gil Victor Hugo , Rowley Christopher N.
Published: July 2024

GNN recognizes protein reactivity of covalent inhibitor futibatinib with 99.2% confidence score.
Hydrothermal synthesis of (Zr,U)SiO4: an efficient pathway to incorporate uranium into zircon
Authors: Estevenon Paul , Barral Thomas , Avallone Arthur , Jeffredo Mateo , De La Hos Alexis , Strzelecki Andrew , Le Goff Xavier , Szenknect Stephanie , Kvashnina Kristina , Moisy Philippe , Podor Renaud , Guo Xiaofeng , Dacheux Nicolas
Published: July 2024

For the first time, conditions allowing the formation of (Zr,U)SiO4 solid solution with uranium content up to 60 mol% have been determined through the hydrothermal synthesis pathway.
Enlarging the Stokes shift of CuInS2 quantum dots using thiol–ene polymers for efficient large-area luminescent solar concentrators
Authors: Wu Yufan , Huang Jing , Zang Jianyang , Zhou Jingjian , Cheng Changhong , Hu Zhuang , Shan Dan , Yang Wenxing , Sychugov Ilya , Sun Licheng , Xu Bo
Published: July 2024

A thiol–ene polymer is employed to enlarge the Stokes shift of CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots for application in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), and a certified record power conversion efficiency of 1.36% (area of 29 × 29 cm2) was achieved.
Accurate predictions of chemical shifts with the rSCAN and r2SCAN mGGA exchange–correlation functionals
Authors: Yates Jonathan R. , Bartók Albert P.
Published: July 2024

mGGA exchange–correlation functionals give improved predictions over GGA functionals for NMR chemical shifts in a range of inorganic solids.
Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301 (B. lactis Fit™) supplementation effects on body fat, serum triglyceride, and adipokine ratio in obese women: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Lee Miji , Bok Min Kyung , Son Kumhee , Lee Minjee , Park HyunMin , Yang Jungwoo , Lim Hyunjung
Published: July 2024

When obese women consumed Bifidobacterium lactis IDCC 4301 (B. lactis Fit™) at a concentration of >5 × 109 CFU day−1 for 12 weeks, decrease in body fat was greater in the probiotics group than in the placebo group.
Dietary supplementation with capsaicinoids alleviates obesity in mice fed a high-fat-high-fructose diet
Authors: Chen Zixing , Liu Jianhui , Ding Huafang , Yan Chi , Zhu Hanyue , Huang Shouhe , Chen Zhen-Yu
Published: July 2024

This study was the first to systematically investigate the anti-obesity effect of capsaicinoids and its relationship with intestinal villus length in mice fed a high-fat-high-fructose diet.
Promoted CO2 photoreduction toward HCOOH generation through a nucleophilic effect in Co/Mg synergistic catalysis
Authors: Wang Luyao , You Siqi , Gong Yaru , Gu Jianxia , Zhang Jiangwei , Shan Guogang , Zhu Bo , Yang Weiting , Sun Chunyi , Wang Xinlong , Su Zhongmin
Published: July 2024

A bimetallic MOF, CoMg-TCPP, is reported for the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid.
Enhanced fast charging capabilities in natural graphite/iron cross-linked pectin electrodes for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Chung Chin-Yi , Chen Wei-Ming , Chen Yan-Ruei , Chen Liang-Yu , Su Yu-Hsuan , Chi Po-Wei , Wu Phillip M. , Chang-Liao Kuei-Shu , Tang Hong-Yi , Wu Maw-Kuen
Published: July 2024

Pectin, used as a binder for graphite anodes with iron for ion-crosslinking, improves Li storage. Iron-doped pectin electrodes achieve 450 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at 1C, demonstrating superior performance.
Freestanding monolayer CrOCl through chemical exfoliation
Authors: Villalpando Graciela , Xie Jiaze , Mathur Nitish , Cheng Guangming , Yao Nan , Schoop Leslie M.
Published: July 2024

Freestanding monolayer CrOCl nanosheet obtained via chemical exfoliation for the first time.
Exploring the unusual SERS and fluorescence behavior of silver ranelate nanoparticles and their interaction with copper( ) and Tb(iii) ions
Authors: Mattioni João V. , Franciscato Douglas S. , Hennemann Artur L. , Sihn Luca M. , Nakamura Marcelo , Toma Henrique E.
Published: July 2024

Silver ranelate nanoparticles complexed with Cu(ii) ions and monitored through the SERS effect.
DNA tetrahedral nanocages as a promising nanocarrier for dopamine delivery in neurological disorders
Authors: Singh Ramesh , Kansara Krupa , Yadav Pankaj , Mandal Sandip , Varshney Ritu , Gupta Sharad , Kumar Ashutosh , Maiti Prabal K. , Bhatia Dhiraj
Published: July 2024

DNA cages loaded with Dopamine as carriers for dopamine release in neuronal cells for applications in neurological disorders.
Evaluation of the release kinetics of hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds from lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles
Authors: Carmona-Almazán Juan P. , Castro-Ceseña Ana B. , Aguila Sergio A.
Published: July 2024

Lipid/polymer hybrid nanoparticles (LPHNPs) embedded in gelatin aerogels, a larger vehicle enhancing concentration and uniform dispersion, effectively sustain the release of small drugs, both hydrophilic and lipophilic.