bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption via optical fiber-like PMMA@Ti3C2Tx@SiO2 composites with improved impedance matching
Authors: Niu Huanhuan , Jiang Xuewen , Li Wei , Min Zhiyu , Putra Budi Riza , Wahyuni Wulan Tri , Wang Hailong , Zhang Rui , Fan Bingbing
Published: November 2023

Ti3C2Tx nanosheets have attracted significant attention for their potential in electromagnetic wave absorption (EWA). However, their inherent self-stacking and exorbitant electrical conductivity inevitably lead to serious impedance mismatch, restricting their EWA application. Therefore, the optimization of impedance matching becomes crucial. In this work, we developed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)@Ti3C2Tx@SiO2 composites with a sandwich-like core-shell structure by coating SiO2 on PMMA@Ti3C2Tx. The results demonstrate that the superiority of the SiO2 layer in combination with PMMA@Ti3C2Tx, outperforming other relative graded distribution structures and meeting the requirements of EWA equipment. The resulting PMMA@Ti3C2Tx@SiO2 composites achieved a minimum reflection loss of −58.08 dB with a thickness of 1.9 mm, and an effective absorption bandwidth of 2.88 GHz. Mechanism analysis revealed that the structural design of SiO2 layer not only optimized impedance matching, but also synergistically enhanced multiple loss mechanisms such as interfacial polarization and dipolar polarization. Therefore, this work provides valuable insights for the future preparation of high-performance electromagnetic wave absorbing Ti3C2Tx-based composites.
A sustainable nanotechnology producing high-quality remediated sewage wastewater used for microalgal protein-rich biomass and biodiesel production
Authors: Morgan Sherif H. , Mahmoud M. A. W. , Mottaleb Shady Abdel , El-Bahbohy Reham M. , Mahmoud-Aly Mohamed
Published: November 2023

Water scarcity is a crucial environmental challenge. Wastewater remediation is an important way to tackle the challenge. Using nanoparticles of natural and agricultural wastes is considered a low-cost sustainable remediation technology. This study develops an effective prototype of a sustainable sewage wastewater (SWW) remediation process using zeolite and bagasse nanoparticles. All studied physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals of the SWW were reduced over the course of treatment with nanobagasse (NB), nanozeolite (NZ), and nanobagasse-nanozeolite double treatments (DT). After only 2 weeks of remediation, the chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solid (TSS), and total dissolved solid (TDS) concentrations were decreased (in NB 38, 33, 58, and 30%; in NZ 40, 30, 63, and 58%; and in DT 47, 38, 75, and 62%), respectively, compared to raw SWW. The DT for 4 and 6 weeks (DT4W and DT6W) show 0.94 and 0.67 Kelly ratios, respectively, which are suitable for irrigation. According to the water pollution index (WPI), all types of DT treatments produce excellent-quality water. DT6W recorded the highest significant rank of removal efficiency of COD, BOD, TSS, TDS, PO4, NO3, Ca, Mg, Na, Cu, Cd, Fe, and Ni (72.7, 59.6, 88.6, 74, 56.7, 88.2, 72.7, 58.7, 80.7, 94.6, 91.1, 65.3, and 84.4%). This remediated water may be used directly for irrigation or other purposes. Also, this study proves that DT4W and DT6W are suitable for Chlorella sorokiniana growth and production of safe protein-rich biomass, 26 and 31.8% protein, respectively. DT for 2, 4, and 6 weeks are suitable growth media for C. sorokiniana to produce diesel engines’ compatible biodiesel. Finally, this recent study presents an interpretation of the physiological status of C. sorokiniana cells grown in the raw SWW and DT media.
Genome-resolved metagenomics of Venice Lagoon surface sediment bacteria reveals high biosynthetic potential and metabolic plasticity as successful strategies in an impacted environment
Authors: Banchi Elisa , Corre Erwan , Del Negro Paola , Celussi Mauro , Malfatti Francesca
Published: November 2023

Bacteria living in sediments play essential roles in marine ecosystems and deeper insights into the ecology and biogeochemistry of these largely unexplored organisms can be obtained from ‘omics’ approaches. Here, we characterized metagenome-assembled-genomes (MAGs) from the surface sediment microbes of the Venice Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea) in distinct sub-basins exposed to various natural and anthropogenic pressures. MAGs were explored for biodiversity, major marine metabolic processes, anthropogenic activity-related functions, adaptations at the microscale, and biosynthetic gene clusters. Starting from 126 MAGs, a non-redundant dataset of 58 was compiled, the majority of which (35) belonged to (Alpha- and Gamma-) Proteobacteria. Within the broad microbial metabolic repertoire (including C, N, and S metabolisms) the potential to live without oxygen emerged as one of the most important features. Mixotrophy was also found as a successful lifestyle. Cluster analysis showed that different MAGs encoded the same metabolic patterns (e.g., C fixation, sulfate oxidation) thus suggesting metabolic redundancy. Antibiotic and toxic compounds resistance genes were coupled, a condition that could promote the spreading of these genetic traits. MAGs showed a high biosynthetic potential related to antimicrobial and biotechnological classes and to organism defense and interactions as well as adaptive strategies for micronutrient uptake and cellular detoxification. Our results highlighted that bacteria living in an impacted environment, such as the surface sediments of the Venice Lagoon, may benefit from metabolic plasticity as well as from the synthesis of a wide array of secondary metabolites, promoting ecosystem resilience and stability toward environmental pressures.
Actors, resources, and activities in Digital Servitization: a business network perspective
Authors: Carloni Elisa , Galvani Serena
Published: November 2023

Digital Servitization (DS), that is the development of new services through the use of digital technologies, is an emerging research stream characterized by an inherent complexity that requires understanding changes occurring over time and impacting relationships and network dynamics. Scholars have argued for the need to move towards an analysis of the micro-interaction processes and the adoption of a networking perspective. In this direction, this study aims to explore the contribution of the business network approach, compared to other existing frameworks, in the analysis of complex digital phenomena. To reach this aim, the study undertakes a single case study of an Italian manufacturer which is undertaking a DS process. The empirical analysis is guided by the three dimensions of the interpretative Actors-Resources-Activities (ARA) framework, developed within the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) approach. The analysis has provided insights into each of the three layers of the ARA framework and has pointed to a continuous interrelation between the internal and external context and interdependence among the three layers. The study provides a theoretical contribution to the stream of literature dealing with the DS phenomenon by providing a unified theoretical approach - i.e., the business network approach - characterized by analytical completeness. Also, the research paves the way for the business network approach and for the ARA framework to be adopted in the investigation of complex business phenomena, such as DS.
Ethanol deprivation and central 5-HT deficiency differentially affect the mRNA editing of the 5-HT2C receptor in the mouse brain
Authors: Zaniewska Magdalena , Alenina Natalia , Fröhler Sebastian , Chen Wei , Bader Michael
Published: November 2023

Background

Serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT2Creceptor mRNA editing (at five sites, A–E), implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including clinical depression, remains unexplored during alcohol abstinence—often accompanied by depressive symptoms.

Methods

We used deep sequencing to investigate 5-HT2Creceptor editing in mice during early ethanol deprivation following prolonged alcohol exposure and mice lacking tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)2, a key enzyme in central 5-HT production. We also examinedTph2expression in ethanol-deprived animals using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

Results

Cessation from chronic 10% ethanol exposure in a two-bottle choice paradigm enhanced immobility time and decreased latency in the forced swim test (FST), indicating a depression-like phenotype. In the hippocampus, ethanol-deprived “high ethanol-drinking” mice displayed reducedTph2expression, elevated 5-HT2Creceptor editing efficiency, and decreased frequency of the D mRNA variant, encoding the less-edited INV protein isoform.Tph2–/–mice showed attenuated receptor editing in the hippocampus and elevated frequency of non-edited None and D variants. In the prefrontal cortex,Tph2deficiency increased receptor mRNA editing at site D and reduced the frequency of AB transcript, predicting a reduction in the corresponding partially edited VNI isoform.

Conclusions

Our findings reveal differential effects of 5-HT depletion and ethanol cessation on 5-HT2Creceptor editing. Central 5-HT depletion attenuated editing in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, whereas ethanol deprivation, coinciding with reducedTph2expression in the hippocampus, enhanced receptor editing efficiency specifically in this brain region. This study highlights the interplay between 5-HT synthesis, ethanol cessation, and 5-HT2Creceptor editing, providing potential mechanism underlying increased ethanol consumption and deprivation.

Graphical abstract
Effects of impurities on the ice microstructure of Monte Perdido Glacier, Central Pyrenees, NE Spain
Authors: González-Santacruz Nicolás , Muñoz-Marzagon Patricia , Bartolomé Miguel , Moreno Ana , Huidobro Jennifer , Faria Sérgio Henrique
Published: November 2023

Monte Perdido Glacier, located in the central Pyrenees, is one of the southernmost glaciers in Europe. Due to climate change, this glacier is suffering an accelerated mass loss, especially in the last decades. If the current trends persist, this glacier is expected to disappear in the next 50 years. As part of the efforts of the scientific community to increase the knowledge about this glacier, this research presents the first microstructural characterization of the Monte Perdido Glacier, focused on a high-impurity concentration segment that belongs to an ice core drilled in 2017. The results reveal the ice has a layering defined by air bubbles and non-soluble impurities. The bubble-defined layering exhibits features of both a primary (sedimentary) and a secondary (strain-induced) origin. We found a clear inverse correspondence between the particle concentration and the grains' size and roundness index. A preliminary micro-Raman characterization of the particles shows the occurrence of atacamite, anatase (likely related to ancient mining activities in the vicinity of the glacier) and quartz. The latter could be an indicator of mineral dust, probably suggesting the arrival of dust-laden air masses from the north of the African continent.
An EMS Response to Refugees Arriving at an International Airport: A Report From the Field
Authors: Mechem C. Crawford , Boyle Tabitha L. , Simmons Michael A. , McCall Martin W. , Sammon Maura
Published: November 2023

Following Afghanistan’s fall in August 2021, many refugees were settled in the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome. They were flown from Kabul to the Middle East and Europe before continuing to the U.S. By late September Philadelphia was the sole destination. From there refugees were transported to Safe Haven military bases around the country. Philadelphia International Airport became the site of a months-long operation involving city, state, federal, and private agencies engaged in processing, medical screening, and COVID-testing of arriving refugees. The Philadelphia Fire Department played an integral role. Minor medical conditions were treated onsite. Higher acuity patients were transported to nearby hospitals. The goal was to maintain flow of refugees to their next destination while addressing acute medical issues. Between August 28, 2021, and March 1, 2022, the airport processed 29,713 refugees. Philadelphia’s experience may serve as a guide for planning future such refugee operations.
Retirement pension poverty among injured workers with long-term workers’ compensation claims
Authors: MacEachen Ellen , Hopwood Pamela , Crouch Meghan K.
Published: November 2023

Achieving adequate incomes to sustain people in their retirement years is a challenge. This paper addresses poverty among injured workers of retirement age when they have been receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Guided by governmental management theory, we address procedures that have operated without media or scholarly attention, in order to highlight details in workers’ compensation retirement pension policy that contribute to injured worker poverty in older age in Ontario, Canada. We used a mixed methods approach, applying critical discourse analysis to explain (a) policies related to retirement income; (b) rationales that supported a legislative change that reduced retirement pensions; and (c) workers’ experiences of living with a workers’ compensation pension. Although workers’ compensation board retirement income policy was intended to make up for loss of contributions to the Canadian federal pension fund, the Ontario injured workers’ retirement pension now pays less than half of the amount workers would have received in the federal pension,a trend that is observable across Canadian provincial workers’ compensation boards. Legislative debates about the 1998 bill that halved the Ontario injured workers’ retirement pension centred on neoliberal logic of fiscal responsibility. Injured workers and key informants in this study expressed trepidation about injured workers’ financial futures.
Mean flow and turbulence in unsteady canopy layers
Authors: Li Weiyi , Giometto Marco G.
Published: November 2023

Non-stationarity is the rule in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). Under such conditions, the flow may experience departures from equilibrium with the underlying surface stress, misalignment of shear stresses and strain rates, and three-dimensionality in turbulence statistics. Existing ABL flow theories are primarily established for statistically stationary flow conditions and cannot predict such behaviours. Motivated by this knowledge gap, this study analyses the impact of time-varying pressure gradients on mean flow and turbulence over urban-like surfaces. A series of large-eddy simulations of pulsatile flow over cuboid arrays is performed, programmatically varying the oscillation amplitude

$\alpha$

and forcing frequency

$\omega$

. The analysis focuses on both longtime-averaged and phase-dependent flow dynamics. Inspection of longtime-averaged velocity profiles reveals that the aerodynamic roughness length

$z_0$

increases with

$\alpha$

and

$\omega$

, whereas the displacement height

$d$

appears to be insensitive to these parameters. In terms of oscillatory flow statistics, it is found that

$\alpha$

primarily controls the oscillation amplitude of the streamwise velocity and Reynolds stresses, but has a negligible impact on their wall-normal structure. On the other hand,

$\omega$

determines the size of the region affected by the unsteady forcing, which identifies the so-called Stokes layer thickness

$\delta _s$

. Within the Stokes layer, phase-averaged resolved Reynolds stress profiles feature substantial variations during the pulsatile cycle, and the turbulence is out of equilibrium with the mean flow. Two phenomenological models have been proposed that capture the influence of flow unsteadiness on

$z_0$

and

$\delta _s$

, respectively.
Knowledge, attitude, and perception of energy drinks consumption among university students in Jordan
Authors: Thiab Samar , Barakat Muna , Nassar Razan I. , Abutaima Rana , Alsughaier Asem , Thaher Roa'a , Odeh Faten , Dayyih Wael Abu
Published: November 2023

Energy drinks gained popularity after the launch of Red Bull in 1997. Different brands are now available and young adults mainly consume these drinks. This study assesses the knowledge, attitude, and perception of energy drink consumption among university students in Jordan. A validated online survey was used to collect the required data, extracted from Google Forms into an Excel spreadsheet and statistically analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24.0. A nationally representative sample of university students with a mean age of 22⋅2 ± 3⋅9 years (n 749) was obtained. The participating students demonstrated a neutral level of knowledge about energy drinks, as the mean score of knowledge = 7⋅1 ± 2⋅2 (out of 12), with 66 % (n 498) of them having consumed energy drinks and experienced their effects. Generally, the study's participants demonstrated a neutral attitude towards energy drinks and 70⋅5 % (n 528) acknowledged that energy drinks increase activity, but more than 70 % of them believed that energy drinks have harmful side effects. It was found that there is a significant (P-value <0⋅5) positive correlation between knowledge score and female gender, studying a medical major, and monthly income. The main reasons for consuming energy drinks were reported to be: to stay awake for longer, help study, and become more energetic. There is a need for more structured awareness campaigns to warn students about the possible side effects of these products in order to reduce the consumption and popularity of these drinks among students.
Dietary fat types consumption association with obesity and coronary indices
Authors: Al-Shami Islam , Al-Dalaeen Anfal , Alkhatib Buthaina , Agraib Lana M.
Published: November 2023

This article aims to study the different dietary fat types associated with obesity and coronary indices. A sample of 491 healthy adults was included in a cross-sectional manner. Dietary fats intake, obesity indices (conicity index (CI), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), body roundness index (BRI), and weight-adjusted-waist index (WWI)), and cardiovascular indices (cardiometabolic index (CMI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP)) were calculated and studied. Participants with an acceptable intake of omega-3 had a higher BRI score (1⋅90 ± 0⋅06v.1⋅70 ± 0⋅06). Participants with an unacceptable intake of cholesterol had a higher CI (1⋅31 ± 0⋅11v.1⋅28 ± 0⋅12;P= 0⋅011), AVI (20⋅24 ± 5⋅8v.18⋅33 ± 6⋅0;P <0⋅001), BRI (2⋅00 ± 1⋅01v.1⋅70 ± 1⋅00;P= 0⋅003), WWI (11⋅00 ± 0⋅91v.10⋅80 ± 0⋅97;P= 0⋅032), and lower AIP (0⋅46 ± 0⋅33v. 0⋅53 ± 0⋅33;P= 0⋅024). Total fat, saturated fat (SFA), and polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) intake had a significant moderate correlation with AVI and BRI. The monounsaturated fat (MUFA) intake had a significantly weak correlation with CI, AVI, BRI, WWI, and AIP. Cholesterol and omega-6 had weak correlations with all indices. Similar correlations were seen among male and female participants. The different types of fat intake significantly affected obesity and coronary indices, especially SFA and PUFA, as well as omega-3 and cholesterol. Gender and the dietary type of fat intake have a relationship to influence the indicators of both obesity and coronary indices.
DUNCAN BLACK: HEIR TO ADAM SMITH AND THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT
Authors: Aldrich John H.
Published: November 2023

Duncan Black, like Adam Smith before him, was trained at, and taught at, the University of Glasgow. Like Smith, Black followed the Enlightenment in appreciating the importance of theory and of its empirical applications. Black sought to apply the ideas of a schedule of preferences and a conception of equilibrium, to politics, as Smith had done in economics. Black believed that his median voter theorem could generalize to a theory of politics, much as Smith’s contributions did for market economics. Black did not complete that generalization, but William Riker did offer a theory of institutional politics, designed to complete Black’s project.
The elucidation of the life cycle of Saccocoelioides nanii Szidat, 1954 (Digenea: Haploporidae) using molecular techniques
Authors: Martinez L.E. , Gilardoni C. , Medina C. , Cremonte F. , Etchegoin J.A.
Published: November 2023

In South America, the knowledge of trematode diversity parasitizing freshwater fishes is still scarce, as less than 5% of the freshwater fish fauna has been examined for parasites. A similar situation applies to studies on digenean life cycles, which have become increasingly rare. Among the digenean families parasitizing freshwater fishes in the region, Haploporidae is considered the richest in species diversity. However, information about the developmental stages of haploporid life cycles remains fragmentary. Particularly, in Argentina, nine cercariae attributed to the family Haploporidae have been described using morphological analysis, and only two life cycles of this family have been completely elucidated. In this study a new type of cercaria, morphologically assigned to the family Haploporidae and collected from the snail Heleobia parchappii (Cochliopidae) in Los Padres shallow lake, Buenos Aires province, was identified using morphological and molecular techniques. The molecular analysis, based on 28S and ITS2 sequences, revealed that the cercariae were 100% identical to adult specimens of Saccocoelioides nanii (Haploporidae) parasitizing the fish Prochilodus lineatus (Prochilodontidae) from Los Talas, Buenos Aires province. Our results not only provide information about the life cycle of S.nanii but also show that a molecular and morphological approach can be extremely useful in identifying the developmental stages of digeneans and elucidating their life cycles.
Human Rights at the Edges of Late Imperial Britain: The Tyrer Case and Judicial Corporal Punishment from the Isle of Man to Montserrat, 1972–1990
Authors: Hilliard Christopher , Duranti Marco
Published: November 2023

In Tyrer v. United Kingdom (1978), the European Court of Human of Human Rights ruled that judicial corporal punishment contravened Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which proscribed “degrading treatment or punishment.” The case unfolded at a formative moment in British legal activism, as left-wing civil-liberties lawyers who had been wary of human rights discourse began taking cases to Strasbourg. The case also involved tactical challenges for British politicians and government lawyers. The case originated on the Isle of Man, which is close to the British mainland but constitutionally not part of the United Kingdom: it is a “crown dependency” with its own executive, legislature, and judiciary, and it persisted with judicial corporal punishment long after the practice had been abolished in Great Britain. By convention, the British government respected the island's laws and criminal-justice policies, but Britain was responsible for the island's compliance with international agreements—including the European Convention on Human Rights. How the British government dealt with the Isle of Man during and after the litigation had direct implications for a host of other small territories in what remained of the British empire—in particular, Britain's remaining Caribbean territories. The Tyrer case's protracted endgame was an object lesson in how much Britain's “unwritten” constitution depends on negotiation, manipulation, and avoiding the overt exercise of powers that might crumble upon use.
A semantic similarity-based method to support the conversion from EXPRESS to OWL
Authors: Liu Yan , Jian Qingquan , Eckert Claudia M.
Published: November 2023

Product data sharing is fundamental for collaborative product design and development. Although the STandard for Exchange of Product model data (STEP) enables this by providing a unified data definition and description, it lacks the ability to provide a more semantically enriched product data model. Many researchers suggest converting STEP models to ontology models and propose rules for mapping EXPRESS, the descriptive language of STEP, to Web Ontology Language (OWL). In most research, this mapping is a manual process which is time-consuming and prone to misunderstandings. To support this conversion, this research proposes an automatic method based on natural language processing techniques (NLP). The similarities of language elements in the reference manuals of EXPRESS and OWL have been analyzed in terms of three aspects: heading semantics, text semantics, and heading hierarchy. The paper focusses on translating between language elements, but the same approach has also been applied to the definition of the data models. Two forms of the semantic analysis with NLP are proposed: a Combination of Random Walks (RW) and Global Vectors for Word Representation (GloVe) for heading semantic similarity; and a Decoding-enhanced BERT with disentangled attention (DeBERTa) ensemble model for text semantic similarity. The evaluation shows the feasibility of the proposed method. The results not only cover most language elements mapped by current research, but also identify the mappings of the elements that have not been included. It also indicates the potential to identify the OWL segments for the EXPRESS declarations.
Energy and nutrient content of school lunches provided for children attending school-based nurseries: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wall Claire J , Pearce Jo
Published: November 2023

Objective:

To nutritionally analyse lunches provided for 3–4-year-old children attending school nurseries. Energy and nutrient content are compared with nutrient frameworks underpinning voluntary guidelines for early years settings (EYS) and mandatory standards for infant schools (4–7-year-olds).

Design:

A cross-sectional study, recording all main meals, vegetarian meals, jacket potato options, sandwich options and all desserts and accompaniments provided over 5 consecutive days in each school. Two portions of each meal were collected each day and weighed. Recipe and portion weight data were entered into nutrient analysis software.

Setting:

School nurseries where lunch was provided by the school.

Subjects:

Nine schools, providing a total of 161 meals.

Results:

Lunches contained more energy (1881 kJ/450 kcal), fat (15·5 g), free sugars (10·5 g) and Na (424 mg) than suggested by the nutrient framework for EYS. Carbohydrate (60·6 g), protein (16·8 g), fibre (6·7 g), Fe (2·4 mg), Zn (2·0 mg), Ca (202 mg), vitamin A (304 µg) and vitamin C (19 mg) also exceeded minimum recommendations. Compared with a revised nutrient framework for infant schools, energy was within range, whilst saturated fat, free sugars and Na were above maximum recommendations for this age group, and Zn was below. Sandwich meals were lower in vitamin C (P < 0·001–P = 0·05) and Fe (P = 0·012–P = 0·017) and higher in Na (P < 0·001–P = 0·003) and Ca (P < 0·001–P = 0·05).

Conclusion:

Lunches provided for children attending school nurseries are more in line with the framework for 4–7-year-olds. Free sugars, saturated fat and Na are areas of concern consistent with previous studies. Protein is three times more than recommended. Large portions of cakes and biscuits contribute to excess energy provision.
African-Descended Women: Power and Social Status in Colonial Oaxaca, 1660–1680
Authors: Smith Sabrina
Published: November 2023

On September 28, 1673, Catalina de los Reyes declared before the Royal Tribunal Court that she refused to surrender her property in Oaxaca's provincial capital of Antequera. Her land dispute with the bishop of Oaxaca shows how African-descended women navigated the court system in colonial Mexico and negotiated their social status in this Spanish colonial society. This article examines race and gender in colonial Mexico. It focuses on the ways in which local authorities attempted to confiscate one of the most valuable properties in Antequera from an African-descended woman named Catalina, as well as the strategies she used to challenge the social hierarchy in the city. By analyzing judicial records along with parish and census data, I argue that colonial women such as Catalina contested elite expectations of gender and race to redefine or secure their social status in colonial Oaxaca. My findings show that although colonial authorities marginalized African-descended women such as Catalina, these colonial women understood the judicial system in colonial Mexico, confronted authorities, and fought to retain their properties and their place in the social order. This article thus advances our understanding of the wide range of roles, experiences, and subjectivities of African-descended women in Spanish America.
Effect of passive shoulder exoskeleton support during working with arms over shoulder level
Authors: Brunner Annina , van Sluijs Rachel , Luder Tobias , Camichel Cherilyn , Kos Melanie , Bee Dario , Bartenbach Volker , Lambercy Olivier
Published: November 2023

Musculoskeletal disorders have the highest prevalence of work-related health problems. Due to the aging population, the prevalence of shoulder pain in workers in physically demanding occupations is increasing, thereby causing rising costs to society and underlining the need for preventive technologies. Wearable support structures are designed to reduce the physical work load during physically demanding tasks. Here, we evaluate the physiological benefit of the DeltaSuit, a novel passive shoulder exoskeleton, using an assessment framework that conforms to the approach proposed in the literature.

In this study, 32 healthy volunteers performed isometric, quasi-isometric, and dynamic tasks that represent typical overhead work to evaluate the DeltaSuit performance. Muscle activity of the arm, neck, shoulder, and back muscles, as well as cardiac cost, perceived exertion, and task-related discomfort during task execution with and without the exoskeleton were compared.

When working with the DeltaSuit, muscle activity was reduced up to 56% (p < 0.001) in the Trapezius Descendens and up to 64% (p < 0.001) in the Deltoideusmedius. Furthermore, we observed no additional loading on the abdomen and back muscles. The use of the exoskeleton resulted in statistically significant reductions in cardiac cost (15%, p < 0.05), perceived exertion (21.5%, p < 0.001), and task-related discomfort in the shoulder (57%, p < 0.001).

These results suggest that passive exoskeletons, such as the DeltaSuit, have the potential to meaningfully support users when performing tasks in overhead postures and offer a valuable solution to relieve the critical body parts of biomechanical strains for workers at high risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Statistical Relationship of Ionospheric Disturbances Caused by Typhoon Extinction on the Sea
Authors: Du Xiaohui , Zhou Chen , Xu Xiang , Dong Lei , Zhang Xuemin , Wang Zhuangkai , Liu Jing
Published: November 2023

Based on the data of magnetic field and electronic density of SWARM, and Total Electron Content, this paper screened six typhoons that died out on the sea. We studied how typhoons affected the ionosphere when they died out without the influence of topography and other factors. The statistical results show that during the extinction of typhoons, the magnetic disturbances all appeared, and the electron density disturbances were observed in five typhoons. The frequency of the electronic density disturbance is slightly higher than the magnetic disturbance. The range of the electronic density disturbance is mostly five or six hundred kilometers and relatively concentrated. The range of the magnetic disturbance can reach about two thousand kilometers and is relatively scattered. Our results indicate that the extinction of typhoon may affect the ionosphere through acoustic gravity waves (AGWs). The AGWs is not generated by friction, but may be from the typhoon itself or a new phenomenon when the typhoon dies out.
Crystallization of polarons through charge and spin ordering transitions in 1T-TaS2
Authors: Bozin E. S. , Abeykoon M. , Conradson S. , Baldinozzi G. , Sutar P. , Mihailovic D.
Published: November 2023

The interaction of electrons with the lattice in metals can lead to reduction of their kinetic energy to the point where they may form heavy, dressed quasiparticles—polarons. Unfortunately, polaronic lattice distortions are difficult to distinguish from more conventional charge- and spin-ordering phenomena at low temperatures. Here we present a study of local symmetry breaking of the lattice structure on the picosecond timescale in the prototype layered dichalcogenide Mott insulator 1T-TaS2 using X-ray pair-distribution function measurements. We clearly identify symmetry-breaking polaronic lattice distortions at temperatures well above the ordered phases, and record the evolution of broken symmetry states from 915 K to 15 K. The data imply that charge ordering is driven by polaron crystallization into a Wigner crystal-like state, rather than Fermi surface nesting or conventional electron-phonon coupling. At intermediate temperatures the local lattice distortions are found to be consistent with a quantum spin liquid state.
Strong yet flexible ceramic aerogel
Authors: Su Lei , Jia Shuhai , Ren Junqiang , Lu Xuefeng , Guo Sheng-Wu , Guo Pengfei , Cai Zhixin , Lu De , Niu Min , Zhuang Lei , Peng Kang , Wang Hongjie
Published: November 2023

Ceramic aerogels are highly efficient, lightweight, and chemically stable thermal insulation materials but their application is hindered by their brittleness and low strength. Flexible nanostructure-assembled compressible aerogels have been developed to overcome the brittleness but they still show low strength, leading to insufficient load-bearing capacity. Here we designed and fabricated a laminated SiC-SiOx nanowire aerogel that exhibits reversible compressibility, recoverable buckling deformation, ductile tensile deformation, and simultaneous high strength of up to an order of magnitude larger than other ceramic aerogels. The aerogel also shows good thermal stability ranging from −196 °C in liquid nitrogen to above 1200 °C in butane blow torch, and good thermal insulation performance with a thermal conductivity of 39.3 ± 0.4 mW m−1 K−1. These integrated properties make the aerogel a promising candidate for mechanically robust and highly efficient flexible thermal insulation materials.
PRO-IP-seq tracks molecular modifications of engaged Pol II complexes at nucleotide resolution
Authors: Vihervaara Anniina , Versluis Philip , Himanen Samu V. , Lis John T.
Published: November 2023

RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) is a multi-subunit complex that undergoes covalent modifications as transcription proceeds through genes and enhancers. Rate-limiting steps of transcription control Pol II recruitment, site and degree of initiation, pausing duration, productive elongation, nascent transcript processing, transcription termination, and Pol II recycling. Here, we develop Precision Run-On coupled to Immuno-Precipitation sequencing (PRO-IP-seq), which double-selects nascent RNAs and transcription complexes, and track phosphorylation of Pol II C-terminal domain (CTD) at nucleotide-resolution. We uncover precise positional control of Pol II CTD phosphorylation as transcription proceeds from the initiating nucleotide (+1 nt), through early (+18 to +30 nt) and late (+31 to +60 nt) promoter-proximal pause, and into productive elongation. Pol II CTD is predominantly unphosphorylated from initiation until the early pause-region, whereas serine-2- and serine-5-phosphorylations are preferentially deposited in the later pause-region. Upon pause-release, serine-7-phosphorylation rapidly increases and dominates over the region where Pol II assembles elongation factors and accelerates to its full elongational speed. Interestingly, tracking CTD modifications upon heat-induced transcriptional reprogramming demonstrates that Pol II with phosphorylated CTD remains paused on thousands of heat-repressed genes. These results uncover dynamic Pol II regulation at rate-limiting steps of transcription and provide a nucleotide-resolution technique for tracking composition of engaged transcription complexes.
DNAJB6 mutants display toxic gain of function through unregulated interaction with Hsp70 chaperones
Authors: Abayev-Avraham Meital , Salzberg Yehuda , Gliksberg Dar , Oren-Suissa Meital , Rosenzweig Rina
Published: November 2023

Molecular chaperones are essential cellular components that aid in protein folding and preventing the abnormal aggregation of disease-associated proteins. Mutations in one such chaperone, DNAJB6, were identified in patients with LGMDD1, a dominant autosomal disorder characterized by myofibrillar degeneration and accumulations of aggregated protein within myocytes. The molecular mechanisms through which such mutations cause this dysfunction, however, are not well understood. Here we employ a combination of solution NMR and biochemical assays to investigate the structural and functional changes in LGMDD1 mutants of DNAJB6. Surprisingly, we find that DNAJB6 disease mutants show no reduction in their aggregation-prevention activity in vitro, and instead differ structurally from the WT protein, affecting their interaction with Hsp70 chaperones. While WT DNAJB6 contains a helical element regulating its ability to bind and activate Hsp70, in LGMDD1 disease mutants this regulation is disrupted. These variants can thus recruit and hyperactivate Hsp70 chaperones in an unregulated manner, depleting Hsp70 levels in myocytes, and resulting in the disruption of proteostasis. Interfering with DNAJB6-Hsp70 binding, however, reverses the disease phenotype, suggesting future therapeutic avenues for LGMDD1.
Observation of an exotic insulator to insulator transition upon electron doping the Mott insulator CeMnAsO
Authors: Wildman E. J. , Lawrence G. B. , Walsh A. , Morita K. , Simpson S. , Ritter C. , Stenning G. B. G. , Arevalo-Lopez A. M. , Mclaughlin A. C.
Published: November 2023

A promising route to discover exotic electronic states in correlated electron systems is to vary the hole or electron doping away from a Mott insulating state. Important examples include quantum criticality and high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates. Here, we report the surprising discovery of a quantum insulating state upon electron doping the Mott insulator CeMnAsO, which emerges below a distinct critical transition temperature, TII. The insulator-insulator transition is accompanied by a significant reduction in electron mobility as well as a colossal Seebeck effect and slow dynamics due to decoupling of the electrons from the lattice phonons. The origin of the transition is tentatively interpreted in terms of many-body localization, which has not been observed previously in a solid-state material.
IL-17 signalling is critical for controlling subcutaneous adipose tissue dynamics and parasite burden during chronic murine Trypanosoma brucei infection
Authors: Sinton Matthew C. , Chandrasegaran Praveena R. G. , Capewell Paul , Cooper Anneli , Girard Alex , Ogunsola John , Perona-Wright Georgia , M Ngoyi Dieudonné , Kuispond Nono , Bucheton Bruno , Camara Mamadou , Kajimura Shingo , Bénézech Cécile , Mabbott Neil A. , MacLeod Annette , Quintana Juan F.
Published: November 2023

In the skin, Trypanosoma brucei colonises the subcutaneous white adipose tissue, and is proposed to be competent for forward transmission. The interaction between parasites, adipose tissue, and the local immune system is likely to drive the adipose tissue wasting and weight loss observed in cattle and humans infected with T. brucei. However, mechanistically, events leading to subcutaneous white adipose tissue wasting are not fully understood. Here, using several complementary approaches, including mass cytometry by time of flight, bulk and single cell transcriptomics, and in vivo genetic models, we show that T. brucei infection drives local expansion of several IL-17A-producing cells in the murine WAT, including TH17 and Vγ6+ cells. We also show that global IL-17 deficiency, or deletion of the adipocyte IL-17 receptor protect from infection-induced WAT wasting and weight loss. Unexpectedly, we find that abrogation of adipocyte IL-17 signalling results in a significant accumulation of Dpp4+Pi16+ interstitial preadipocytes and increased extravascular parasites in the WAT, highlighting a critical role for IL-17 signalling in controlling preadipocyte fate, subcutaneous WAT dynamics, and local parasite burden. Taken together, our study highlights the central role of adipocyte IL-17 signalling in controlling WAT responses to infection, suggesting that adipocytes are critical coordinators of tissue dynamics and immune responses to T. brucei infection.
A chromosome-level genome assembly of the Korean crossbred pig Nanchukmacdon (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Kwon Daehong , Park Nayoung , Wy Suyeon , Lee Daehwan , Chai Han-Ha , Cho In-Cheol , Lee Jongin , Kwon Kisang , Kim Heesun , Moon Youngbeen , Kim Juyeon , Park Woncheoul , Kim Jaebum
Published: November 2023

As plentiful high-quality genome assemblies have been accumulated, reference-guided genome assembly can be a good approach to reconstruct a high-quality assembly. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of the Korean crossbred pig called Nanchukmacdon (the NCMD assembly) using the reference-guided assembly approach with short and long reads. The NCMD assembly contains 20 chromosome-level scaffolds with a total size of 2.38 Gbp (N50: 138.77 Mbp). Its BUSCO score is 93.1%, which is comparable to the pig reference assembly, and a total of 20,588 protein-coding genes, 8,651 non-coding genes, and 996.14 Mbp of repetitive elements are annotated. The NCMD assembly was also used to close many gaps in the pig reference assembly. This NCMD assembly and annotation provide foundational resources for the genomic analyses of pig and related species.
Chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of Zicaitai (Brassica rapa var. purpuraria)
Authors: Ren Hailong , Xu Donglin , Xiao Wanyu , Zhou Xianyu , Li Guangguang , Zou Jiwen , Zhang Hua , Zhang Zhibin , Zhang Jing , Zheng Yansong
Published: November 2023

Zicaitai is a seasonal vegetable known for its high anthocyanin content in both stalks and leaves, yet its reference genome has not been published to date. Here, we generated the first chromosome-level genome assembly of Zicaitai using a combination of PacBio long-reads, Illumina short-reads, and Hi-C sequencing techniques. The final genome length is 474.12 Mb with a scaffold N50 length of 43.82 Mb, a BUSCO score of 99.30% and the LAI score of 10.14. Repetitive elements accounted for 60.89% (288.72 Mb) of the genome, and Hi-C data enabled the allocation of 430.87 Mb of genome sequences to ten pseudochromosomes. A total of 42,051 protein-coding genes were successfully predicted using multiple methods, of which 99.74% were functionally annotated. Notably, comparing the genome of Zicaitai with seven other species in the Cruciferae family revealed strong conservation in terms of gene numbers and structures. Overall, the high-quality genome assembly provides a critical resource for studying the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in Zicaitai.
Microbial carbonate reservoir characteristics and their depositional effects, the IV Member of Dengying Formation, Gaoshiti-Moxi area, Sichuan Basin, Southwest China
Authors: Wang Yuan , Wang Shaoyong , Yan Haijun , Zhang Yijie , Zhao Zhenyu , Ma Debo
Published: November 2023

Previous scientific research on reservoirs of the Deng IV Member in the Gaoshiti-Moxi area, the main production area of the Anyue gas field with reserves of tens of billions of cubic metres, has focused on karst palaeogeomorphology reconstruction, the facies distribution on platform margins, and their effects on creating favourable reservoirs. However, the quality of microbial carbonate reservoirs is also closely related to their original depositional environments on both inner and marginal platforms. Therefore, this paper attempts to reveal favourable microbial carbonate reservoir characteristics and the sedimentary effects on their distribution and prediction based predominantly on a synthetic analysis of the sequence stratigraphy and depositional facies. The results show that favourable reservoirs of the Deng IV Member are classified into three types according to their reservoir spaces: fracture-cavity, pore-cavity and pore reservoirs. Secondary dissolution pores and cavities are primary reservoir spaces developed mainly in nonskeletal grain dolomites with sparry cements, thrombolites, and stromatolites. The physical properties of the fracture-cavity and pore-cavity types of reservoirs are better than those of pore reservoirs and have porosities between 1 and 5% and permeabilities between 0.01 × 10–3 and 1 × 10–3 μm2. Vertically, favourable reservoirs are developed mainly in parasequence set 6 (PSS6) and PSS7 and are laterally distributed in well zone MX9-MX19-MX1 for the fracture-cavity type, MX105-MX110-GS20 for the pore-cavity type and MX17-MX107-MX41-MX102-GS102 for the pore type. Moreover, depositional effects on reservoirs in terms of depositional sequences, seismic facies, microfacies and microfacies associations indicate that to some extent, the fracture-cavity type of reservoir is constrained by the top boundaries of PSS7, PSS2, parasequence 17 (PS17) and PS14; the pore-cavity type of reservoir is constrained by the top boundaries of PSS7, PSS4, PS18 and PS12; and the pore type of reservoir is constrained by the top boundaries of PSS7, PSS6, PSS3, PSS2, PS18, PS17, PS14, and PS12. Seismic facies associated with shoals and mound-flat complexes are related to the facies distributions of pore cavities and pore reservoirs. MA1, MA3, MA7, and MA8 are predominant microfacies associations of favourable reservoirs of the Deng IV Member in the Gaoshiti-Moxi area. The above results are significant for further petroleum exploration and exploitation of ultradeep microbial carbonate reservoirs in this area.
Natural killer cell responses during SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination in people living with HIV-1
Authors: Alrubayyi Aljawharah , Touizer Emma , Hameiri-Bowen Dan , Charlton Bethany , Gea-Mallorquí Ester , Hussain Noshin , da Costa Kelly A. S. , Ford Rosemarie , Rees-Spear Chloe , Fox Thomas A. , Williams Ian , Waters Laura , Barber Tristan J. , Burns Fiona , Kinloch Sabine , Morris Emma , Rowland-Jones Sarah , McCoy Laura E. , Peppa Dimitra
Published: November 2023

Natural killer (NK) cell subsets with adaptive properties are emerging as regulators of vaccine-induced T and B cell responses and are specialized towards antibody-dependent functions contributing to SARS-CoV-2 control. Although HIV-1 infection is known to affect the NK cell pool, the additional impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or vaccination on NK cell responses in people living with HIV (PLWH) has remained unexplored. Our data show that SARS-CoV-2 infection skews NK cells towards a more differentiated/adaptive CD57+FcεRIγ− phenotype in PLWH. A similar subset was induced following vaccination in SARS-CoV-2 naïve PLWH in addition to a CD56bright population with cytotoxic potential. Antibody-dependent NK cell function showed robust and durable responses to Spike up to 148 days post-infection, with responses enriched in adaptive NK cells. NK cell responses were further boosted by the first vaccine dose in SARS-CoV-2 exposed individuals and peaked after the second dose in SARS-CoV-2 naïve PLWH. The presence of adaptive NK cells associated with the magnitude of cellular and humoral responses. These data suggest that features of adaptive NK cells can be effectively engaged to complement and boost vaccine-induced adaptive immunity in potentially more vulnerable groups such as PLWH.