bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
T7 phage-assisted evolution of riboswitches using error-prone replication and dual selection
Authors: Goicoechea Serrano Eduardo , Blázquez-Bondia Carlos , Jaramillo Alfonso
Published: January 2024

Leveraging riboswitches, non-coding mRNA fragments pivotal to gene regulation, poses a challenge in effectively selecting and enriching these functional genetic sensors, which can toggle between ON and OFF states in response to their cognate inducers. Here, we show our engineered phage T7, enabling the evolution of a theophylline riboswitch. We have replaced T7’s DNA polymerase with a transcription factor controlled by a theophylline riboswitch and have created two types of host environments to propagate the engineered phage. Both types host an error-prone T7 DNA polymerase regulated by a T7 promoter along with another critical gene—either cmk or pifA, depending on the host type. The cmk gene is necessary for T7 replication and is used in the first host type for selection in the riboswitch's ON state. Conversely, the second host type incorporates the pifA gene, leading to abortive T7 infections and used for selection in the riboswitch’s OFF state. This dual-selection system, termed T7AE, was then applied to a library of 65,536 engineered T7 phages, each carrying randomized riboswitch variants. Through successive passage in both host types with and without theophylline, we observed an enrichment of phages encoding functional riboswitches that conferred a fitness advantage to the phage in both hosts. The T7AE technique thereby opens new pathways for the evolution and advancement of gene switches, including non-coding RNA-based switches, setting the stage for significant strides in synthetic biology.
Formal optimization techniques select hydrogen to decarbonize California
Authors: Thai Clinton , Brouwer Jack
Published: January 2024

System planning across economic sectors is becoming increasingly necessary. Building upon existing solutions for deep decarbonization, the inclusion of renewable capacity to meet up to 8 MMT/year hydrogen demand is carried out. An hourly economic dispatch problem modeling the 2050 California electric grid given this hydrogen demand constraint is solved. Hydrogen demand outside of the power generation sector is fixed, but the demand for power generation is endogenously determined. The factor to consider offshore wind capacity, in addition to a conservative and an aggressive hydrogen technology adoption approach, creates four distinct scenarios to evaluate. The difference in results then provides a basis for discussing the costs and benefits associated with using hydrogen to further decarbonize across all sectors. The carbon reduction achieved outside of the power generation sector is 27 MMT despite a slight increase in carbon within the power generation sector. The seasonal storage requirement for hydrogen spans from 72 to 149 TBtu dependent upon the renewable capacity mix. This level of hydrogen demand results in 21% to 41% of total electric load being dedicated to hydrogen production. Battery energy storage has the lowest energy throughput in the middle of the year coinciding with peak electrolyzer operation.
Neurochemical differences in core regions of the autistic brain: a multivoxel 1H-MRS study in children
Authors: Dionísio Ana , Espírito Ana , Pereira Andreia C. , Mouga Susana , d’Almeida Otília C. , Oliveira Guiomar , Castelo-Branco Miguel
Published: January 2024

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition which compromises various cognitive and behavioural domains. The understanding of the pathophysiology and molecular neurobiology of ASD is still an open critical research question. Here, we aimed to address ASD neurochemistry in the same time point at key regions that have been associated with its pathophysiology: the insula, hippocampus, putamen and thalamus. We conducted a multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study to non-invasively estimate the concentrations of total choline (GPC + PCh, tCho), total N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA + NAAG, tNAA) and Glx (Glu + Gln), presenting the results as ratios to total creatine while investigating replication for ratios to total choline as a secondary analysis. Twenty-two male children aged between 10 and 18 years diagnosed with ASD (none with intellectual disability, in spite of the expected lower IQ) and 22 age- and gender-matched typically developing (TD) controls were included. Aspartate ratios were significantly lower in the insula (tNAA/tCr: p = 0.010; tNAA/tCho: p = 0.012) and putamen (tNAA/tCr: p = 0.015) of ASD individuals in comparison with TD controls. The Glx ratios were significantly higher in the hippocampus of the ASD group (Glx/tCr: p = 0.027; Glx/tCho: p = 0.011). Differences in tNAA and Glx indices suggest that these metabolites might be neurochemical markers of region-specific atypical metabolism in ASD children, with a potential contribution for future advances in clinical monitoring and treatment.
Anomalous intralayer growth of epitaxial Si on Ag(111)
Authors: Wang Kejian , Prévot Geoffroy , Aqua Jean-Noël
Published: January 2024

The epitaxial growth of silicene has been the subject of many investigations, controversies and non-classical results. In particular, the initially promising deposition of Si on a metallic substrate such as Ag(111) has revealed unexpected growth modes where Si is inserted at the beginning of the growth in the first atomic plane of the substrate. In order to rationalize this anomalous growth mode, we develop an out-of-equilibrium description of a lattice-based epitaxial growth model, which growth dynamics are analyzed via kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations. This model incorporates several effects revealed by the experiments such as the intermixing between Si and Ag, and surface effects. It is parametrized thanks to an approach in which we show that relatively precise estimates of energy barriers can be deduced by meticulous analysis of atomic microscopy images. This analysis enables us to reproduce both qualitatively and quantitatively the anomalous growth patterns of Si on Ag(111). We show that the dynamics results in two modes, a classical sub-monolayer growth mode at low temperature, and an inserted growth mode at higher temperatures, where the deposited Si atoms insert in the first layer of the substrate by replacing Ag atoms. Furthermore, we reproduce the non-standard $$\Lambda $$
Λ
shape of the experimental plot of the island density as a function of temperature, with a shift in island density variation during the transition between the submonoloyer and inserted growth modes.
Visual hallucinations induced by Ganzflicker and Ganzfeld differ in frequency, complexity, and content
Authors: Shenyan Oris , Lisi Matteo , Greenwood John A. , Skipper Jeremy I. , Dekker Tessa M.
Published: January 2024

Visual hallucinations can be phenomenologically divided into those of a simple or complex nature. Both simple and complex hallucinations can occur in pathological and non-pathological states, and can also be induced experimentally by visual stimulation or deprivation—for example using a high-frequency, eyes-open flicker (Ganzflicker) and perceptual deprivation (Ganzfeld). Here we leverage the differences in visual stimulation that these two techniques involve to investigate the role of bottom-up and top-down processes in shifting the complexity of visual hallucinations, and to assess whether these techniques involve a shared underlying hallucinatory mechanism despite their differences. For each technique, we measured the frequency and complexity of the hallucinations produced, utilising button presses, retrospective drawing, interviews, and questionnaires. For both experimental techniques, simple hallucinations were more common than complex hallucinations. Crucially, we found that Ganzflicker was more effective than Ganzfeld at eliciting simple hallucinations, while complex hallucinations remained equivalent across the two conditions. As a result, the likelihood that an experienced hallucination was complex was higher during Ganzfeld. Despite these differences, we found a correlation between the frequency and total time spent hallucinating in Ganzflicker and Ganzfeld conditions, suggesting some shared mechanisms between the two methodologies. We attribute the tendency to experience frequent simple hallucinations in both conditions to a shared low-level core hallucinatory mechanism, such as excitability of visual cortex, potentially amplified in Ganzflicker compared to Ganzfeld due to heightened bottom-up input. The tendency to experience complex hallucinations, in contrast, may be related to top-down processes less affected by visual stimulation.
Analysis of anemia and iron supplementation among glioblastoma patients reveals sex-biased association between anemia and survival
Authors: Shenoy Ganesh , Slagle-Webb Becky , Khunsriraksakul Chachrit , Pandya Shesh Bhavyata , Luo Jingqin , Khristov Vladimir , Smith Nataliya , Mansouri Alireza , Zacharia Brad E. , Holder Sheldon , Lathia Justin D. , Barnholtz-Sloan Jill S. , Connor James R.
Published: January 2024

The association between anemia and outcomes in glioblastoma patients is unclear. We analyzed data from 1346 histologically confirmed adult glioblastoma patients in the TriNetX Research Network. Median hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were quantified for 6 months following diagnosis and used to classify patients as anemic or non-anemic. Associations of anemia and iron supplementation of anemic patients with median overall survival (median-OS) were then studied. Among 1346 glioblastoma patients, 35.9% of male and 40.5% of female patients were classified as anemic using hemoglobin-based WHO guidelines. Among males, anemia was associated with reduced median-OS compared to matched non-anemic males using hemoglobin (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.00–1.53) or hematocrit-based cutoffs (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.03–1.59). Among females, anemia was not associated with median-OS using hemoglobin (HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.78–1.27) or hematocrit-based cutoffs (HR: 1.10; 95% CI 0.85–1.41). Iron supplementation of anemic females trended toward increased median-OS (HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.32–1.19) although failing to reach statistical significance whereas no significant association was found in anemic males (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.41–1.75). Functional transferrin-binding assays confirmed sexually dimorphic binding in resected patient samples indicating underlying differences in iron biology. Anemia among glioblastoma patients exhibits a sex-specific association with survival.
A novel AllGlo probe-quantitative PCR method for detecting single nucleotide polymorphism in CYP2C19 to evaluate the antiplatelet activity of clopidogrel
Authors: Li Hongwei , Fang Yizhen , Chen Yongquan , Lin Yuning , Fang Zanxi , Lin Zhiyuan , Xie Huabin , Zhang Zhongying
Published: January 2024

CYP2C19 gene has multiple single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which is the major determinant for clopidogrel treatment responses. Therefore, CYP2C19 SNP detection is essential for predicting clopidogrel efficacy. Currently, there is still no quick and effective method for routine detection of common CYP2C19 SNPs in clinical laboratories, which is critically needed prior to clopidogrel treatment. AllGlo™ based quantitative PCR was used to develop a novel genotyping method for CYP2C19 SNP detection, termed CyPAllGlo. The performance of CyPAllGlo was compared with that of the commonly used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method, and the data was verified by DNA sequencing. CyPallGlo was used to identify CYP2C19 polymorphisms in 363 patients with coronary heart disease. The univariate analysis was used to access the antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel in patients. The associations between CYP2C19 polymorphisms and clopidogrel efficacy were analyzed. Using CyPAllGlo to detect CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3 alleles was highly specific and fast. The detection limit was approximately 0.07 µg/µl and 0.7 µg/µl for CYP2C19*2 and CYP2C19*3, respectively. The consistency between FISH and CyPAllGlo were 98.07% for CYP2C19*2 and 99.17% for CYP2C19*3. DNA sequencing showed that the accuracy of CyPAllGlo was 100%. The analysis time for the whole CyPAllGlo procedure was approximately 60 min. Univariate analysis showed that the anticoagulation efficacy of clopidogrel was related to patient age, CYP2C19 genotype, metabolic phenotype, and LDL level. The logistic regression analysis showed that the genotype of CYP2C19 and metabolic phenotype was the two risk factors for clopidogrel antiplatelet ineffectiveness. This novel CyPAllGlo is a rapid and accurate method for detection of CYP2C19 SNP. The specificity and consistency of CyPAllGlo are comparable with that of widely used DNA sequencing. These findings provide valuable rapid method for predicting clopidogrel efficacy, which can be quickly translated to improve personalized precision medicine for coronary heart disease treatment.
Tuning biodegradability, bone-bonding capacity, and wear resistance of zinc-30% magnesium intermetallic alloy for use in load-bearing bone applications
Authors: Youness Rasha A. , Taha Mohammed A.
Published: January 2024

This work aimed to improve the rapid biodegradation, poor wear resistance properties, and lack of bioactivity of metallic biomaterials to be used in orthopedic applications. In this context, zinc–magnesium (Zn–Mg) alloy with successive contents of calcium silicate (CaSiO3) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) was prepared using powder metallurgy technique. After sintering, their phase composition and microstructure were investigated using the X-ray diffraction technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Furthermore, their degradation behavior and ability to form hydroxyapatite (HA) layer on the sample surface after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) were monitored using weight loss measurements, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, and SEM. Moreover, their tribo-mechanical properties were measured. The results obtained showed that the successive contents of CaSiO3 were responsible for improving the bioactivity behavior as indicated by a good formation of the HA layer on the samples’ surface. Additionally, ceramic materials were responsible for a continuous decrease in the released ions in the SBF solution as indicated by the ICP results. The tribology properties were significantly improved even after exposure to different loads. Based on the above results, the prepared nanocomposites are promising for use in orthopedic applications.
Comprehensive analysis of miRNA profiling in Schistosoma mekongi across life cycle stages
Authors: Sivapornnukul Pavaret , Khamwut Ariya , Chanchaem Prangwalai , Chusongsang Phiraphol , Chusongsang Yupa , Poodeepiyasawat Paporn , Limpanont Yanin , Reamtong Onrapak , Payungporn Sunchai
Published: January 2024

Schistosoma mekongi, a significant schistosome parasite, has various life stages, including egg, cercaria, female, and male, that play crucial roles in the complex life cycle. This study aimed to explore the microRNA (miRNA) profiles across these developmental stages to understand their potential functions and evolutionary significance, which have not been studied. Pre-processed sequencing reads of small RNA (sRNA) were obtained, and annotations were performed against the S. japonicum reference miRNA database. Results indicated marked variations in miRNA profiles across different life stages, with notable similarities observed between female and male S. mekongi. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and unsupervised clustering revealed distinct miRNA signatures for each stage. Gene ontology (GO) analysis unveiled the potential roles of these miRNAs in various biological processes. The differential expression of specific miRNAs was prominent across stages, suggesting their involvement in crucial developmental processes. Furthermore, orthologous miRNA analysis against various worm species revealed distinct presence–absence patterns, providing insights into the evolutionary relationships of these miRNAs. In conclusion, this comprehensive investigation into the miRNA profiles of S. mekongi offers valuable insights into the functional and evolutionary aspects of miRNAs in schistosome biology.
Transfer learning of pre-treatment quantitative ultrasound multi-parametric images for the prediction of breast cancer response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Falou Omar , Sannachi Lakshmanan , Haque Maeashah , Czarnota Gregory J. , Kolios Michael C.
Published: January 2024

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a severe type of cancer with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in therapy. As the disease is often inoperable, current guidelines suggest upfront aggressive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Complete pathological response to chemotherapy is linked to improved survival, but conventional clinical assessments like physical exams, mammography, and imaging are limited in detecting early response. Early detection of tissue response can improve complete pathological response and patient survival while reducing exposure to ineffective and potentially harmful treatments. A rapid, cost-effective modality without the need for exogenous contrast agents would be valuable for evaluating neoadjuvant therapy response. Conventional ultrasound provides information about tissue echogenicity, but image comparisons are difficult due to instrument-dependent settings and imaging parameters. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) overcomes this by using normalized power spectra to calculate quantitative metrics. This study used a novel transfer learning-based approach to predict LABC response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy using QUS imaging at pre-treatment. Using data from 174 patients, QUS parametric images of breast tumors with margins were generated. The ground truth response to therapy for each patient was based on standard clinical and pathological criteria. The Residual Network (ResNet) deep learning architecture was used to extract features from the parametric QUS maps. This was followed by SelectKBest and Synthetic Minority Oversampling (SMOTE) techniques for feature selection and data balancing, respectively. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to classify patients into two distinct categories: nonresponders (NR) and responders (RR). Evaluation results on an unseen test set demonstrate that the transfer learning-based approach using spectral slope parametric maps had the best performance in the identification of nonresponders with precision, recall, F1-score, and balanced accuracy of 100, 71, 83, and 86%, respectively. The transfer learning-based approach has many advantages over conventional deep learning methods since it reduces the need for large image datasets for training and shortens the training time. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of transfer learning in predicting LABC response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy before the start of treatment using quantitative ultrasound imaging. Prediction of NAC response before treatment can aid clinicians in customizing ineffectual treatment regimens for individual patients.
Acacetin inhibited non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell growth via upregulating miR-34a in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Li Jing , Zhong Xianmei , Zhao Yueshui , Shen Jing , Xiao Zhangang , Pilapong Chalermchai
Published: January 2024

Acacetin, one of the flavonoid compounds, is a natural product found in various plants, including Silver birch, and Damiana. Previous studies showed that acacetin has anti-cancer effects on many kinds of cancer cells, however, the role of and the mechanisms of actions of acacetin on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells is still not fully understood. Herein, we found that, in vitro, acacetin inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells, A549 and H460, in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, flow cytometry assay results showed that acacetin induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis of NSCLC cells. In vivo, acacetin suppressed tumor formation of A549-xenografted nude mice model with no obvious toxicities. Western blotting results showed that the protein levels of cell cycle-related proteins cyclin B1, cyclin D, and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 had decreased, while the apoptosis-related protein Bak had increased both in NSCLC cells and in A549-xenografted tumor tissues. For investigating the molecular mechanism behind the biological effects of acacetin on NSCLC, we found that acacetin induced the expression levels of tumor suppressor p53 both in vitro and in vivo. MicroRNA, miR-34a, the direct target of p53, has been shown anti-NSCLC proliferation effects by suppressing the expression of its target gene programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). We found that acacetin upregulated the expression levels of miR-34a, and downregulated the expression levels of PD-L1 of NSCLC cells in vitro and of tumors in vivo. In vitro, knockdown p53 expression by siRNAs reversed the induction effects of acacetin on miR34a expression and abolished the inhibitory activity of acacetin on NSCLC cell proliferation. Furthermore, using agomir and antagomir to overexpress and suppress the expression miR-34a in NSCLC cells was also examined. We found that miR-34a agomir showed similar effects as acacetin on A549 cells, while miR-34a antagomir could partially or completely reverse acacetin’s effects on A549 cells. In vivo, intratumor injection of miR-34a antagomir could drastically suppress the anti-tumor formation effects of acacetin in A549-xenografted nude mice. Overall, our results showed that acacetin inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis of NSCLC cells by regulating miR-34a.
Microwave-assisted hydrogen peroxide digestion followed by ICP-OES for determination of metals in selected fuel oils
Authors: Mdluli Njabulo S. , Knottenbelt Cyril D. , Nomngongo Philiswa N. , Mketo Nomvano
Published: January 2024

This work describes a greener and cost-effective microwave-assisted hydrogen peroxide digestion (MA-HPD) with the addition of 1 mL of HNO3 (70% v/v) to enhance extraction of selected metals (Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti and V) in crude-oil, diesel, gasoline and kerosene samples prior to inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopic (ICP-OES) analysis. The most influential parameters of the MA-HPD method were investigated by using multivariate optimization tools (two-level full factorial and central composite designs) and fuel oil certified reference material (NIST1634c). The optimum conditions were observed to be 245 ℃ microwave temperature, 25 min digestion time, 0.1 g sample mass and 5 M H2O2 were the optimum digestion conditions with accepted accuracy (104.8–117.7%) and precision (≤ 4.1%). In overall, the metals that reported high concentrations in the crude oil, diesel, gasoline, and kerosene samples were Na (51.94–58.86 mg/kg) and Mg (36.08–47.4 mg/kg), while Cu was the lowest (0.55–2.89 mg/kg). When comparing the obtained concentration levels with other literature reports, a conclusion can be drawn that South Africa is importing oils of reasonable quality.
Association between paraspinal muscle fat infiltration and regional kyphosis angle in thoracolumbar fracture patients: a retrospective study
Authors: Liao Yitao , Liu Xiaofeng , Xu Taichuan , Li Chao , Xiao Qingming , Zhang Xian
Published: January 2024

This study aims to evaluate the impact of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) and open pedicle screw fixation (OPSF) on the postoperative paraspinal muscle fat infiltration (FI) rate in patients with thoracolumbar fractures through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and explore the association between paraspinal muscle FI rate and regional kyphosis angle. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from 35 patients who underwent either PPSF or OPSF for thoracolumbar fractures, examining data at preoperative, 1-month postoperative, and 9-months postoperative time points, which included Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and regional kyphosis angle. We obtained preoperative and 9-month postoperative paraspinal muscle FI rates using T2-weighted MRI images and ImageJ software. We analyzed the correlation of FI rates with VAS, ODI, as well as the correction loss percentage of regional kyphosis angle. The analysis revealed a positive correlation between postoperative FI rate increase and correction loss percentage of regional kyphosis angle (r = 0.696, p < 0.001). The increase in paraspinal muscle FI rate was positively correlated with 9-month postoperative ODI (r = 0.763, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that an increase in postoperative paraspinal muscle FI rate may result in more significant correction loss of regional kyphosis angle and can lead to increased functional impairment in patients.
Elucidating the significant roles of root exudates in organic pollutant biotransformation within the rhizosphere
Authors: Eze Michael O. , Amuji Chinedu F.
Published: January 2024

Biotransformation of organic pollutants is crucial for the dissipation of environmental pollutants. While the roles of microorganisms have been extensively studied, the significant contribution of various root exudates are still not very well understood. Through plant growth experiment, coupled with gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, this study examined the effect of the presence of M. sativa on microbial-associated biochemical transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The results of this study revealed that the concentration of exudates within the soil matrix is a function of proximity to root surfaces. Similarly, biodegradation was found to correlate with distance from roots, ranging from ≥ 90% within the rhizosphere to < 50% in bulk soil and unplanted control soil. Most importantly, for the first time in a study of an entire petroleum distillate, this study revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between root exudate concentration and residual total petroleum hydrocarbons. While not all the compounds that may influence biodegradation are derived from roots, the results of this study show that the presence of plant can significantly influence biodegradation of hydrocarbon pollutants through such root exudation as organic acids, amino acids, soluble sugars and terpenoids. Therefore, root exudates, including secondary metabolites, offer great prospects for biotechnological applications in the remediation of organic pollutants, including recalcitrant ones.
Simulating AMOC tipping driven by internal climate variability with a rare event algorithm
Authors: Cini Matteo , Zappa Giuseppe , Ragone Francesco , Corti Susanna
Published: January 2024

This study investigates the possibility of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) noise-induced tipping solely driven by internal climate variability without applying external forcing that alter the radiative forcing or the North Atlantic freshwater budget. We address this hypothesis by applying a rare event algorithm to ensemble simulations of present-day climate with an intermediate complexity climate model. The algorithm successfully identifies trajectories leading to abrupt AMOC slowdowns, which are unprecedented in a 2000-year control run. Part of these AMOC weakened states lead to collapsed state without evidence of AMOC recovery on multi-centennial time scales. The temperature and Northern Hemisphere jet stream responses to these internally-induced AMOC slowdowns show strong similarities with those found in externally forced AMOC slowdowns in state-of-the-art climate models. The AMOC slowdown seems to be initially driven by Ekman transport due to westerly wind stress anomalies in the North Atlantic and subsequently sustained by a complete collapse of the oceanic convection in the Labrador Sea. These results demonstrate that transitions to a collapsed AMOC state purely due to internal variability in a model simulation of present-day climate are rare but theoretically possible. Additionally, these results show that rare event algorithms are a tool of valuable and general interest to study tipping points since they introduce the possibility of collecting a large number of tipping events that cannot be sampled using traditional approaches. This opens the possibility of identifying the mechanisms driving tipping events in complex systems in which little a-priori knowledge is available.
Charge-neutral, GeV-scale electron-positron pair beams produced using bremsstrahlung gamma rays
Authors: Noh Youhwan , Song Jaehyun , Mirzaie Mohammad , Hojbota Calin Ioan , Kim Hyeong-il , Lee Seongmin , Won Junho , Song Hoon , Song Chiwan , Ryu Chang-Mo , Nam Chang Hee , Bang Woosuk
Published: January 2024

Matter-antimatter plasmas, such as electron-positron pair plasmas, are frequently observed in various astrophysical phenomena. In laboratory settings, electron-positron pairs have often been generated using high-Z converters irradiated by either direct laser pulses or laser-driven electron beams. Here we generate charge-neutral electron-positron beams with energies in the GeV range, utilizing bremsstrahlung gamma rays. Specifically, intense high-energy gamma rays produced electron-positron pair particles in a lead converter via the Bethe-Heitler process. The produced pair beams exhibited neutrality across all converter thicknesses throughout the energy spectrum spanning from 10 MeV to 1.8 GeV. Pairs with energies surpassing 1 GeV constituted up to 26% of the total kinetic energy within the spectrum. The experimental results were in good agreement with our Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations. These GeV-scale neutral pair particle beams have potential applications for understanding energetic astrophysical phenomena and high-energy particle physics.
Curvature tuning through defect-based 4D printing
Authors: Moosabeiki Vahid , Yarali Ebrahim , Ghalayaniesfahani Ava , Callens Sebastien J. P. , van Manen Teunis , Accardo Angelo , Ghodrat Sepideh , Bico José , Habibi Mehdi , Mirzaali Mohammad J. , Zadpoor Amir A.
Published: January 2024

Emerging 4D printing techniques have enabled the realization of smart materials whose shape or properties can change with time. Two important phenomena play important roles in the 4D printing of shape memory polymeric materials. First, the anisotropic deformation of the printed filaments due to residual stresses can be harnessed to create out-of-plane shape transformations. Second, the unavoidable formation of micro-defects during the printing processes often affects the programmability of the printed object. Here, we propose a design approach that harnesses these two effects occurring during fused deposition modeling to create tailor-made curved geometries from initially 2D flat disks. We first determined the size and distribution of the imperfections formed within printed structures by varying two printing parameters namely the printing speed and the number of printed materials. Spatially varying the printing speed and combining polylactic acid filaments with a softer material without shape memory properties allowed us to cover a variety of shapes from negative to positive values of the mean and Gaussian curvature. We propose an analytical model to calculate the magnitude of the maximum out-of-plane deformation from the anisotropic expansion factor of the constituting microstructures. Furthermore, we develop computational models to predict the complex shape-changing of thermally actuated 4D printed structures given the distribution of rationally introduced imperfections and we demonstrate the potential applications of such defect-based metamaterials in drug delivery systems.
Millennium-scale changes in the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation influenced groundwater recharge rates in Italy
Authors: Diodato Nazzareno , Bellocchi Gianni
Published: January 2024

Groundwater, essential for water availability, sanitation and achieving Sustainable Development Goals, is shaped by climate dynamics and complex hydrogeological structures. Here, we provide a time-series of groundwater recharge from 801 CE to the present day in the Tiber River Basin, Italy, using historical records and hydrological modelling. Groundwater drought occurred in 36% of Medieval Climatic Anomaly (801-1249) years, 12% of Little Ice Age (1250-1849) years and 26% of Modern Warming Period (1850-2020) years. Importantly, a predominant warm phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, aligned with solar maxima, coincided with prolonged dry spells during both the medieval and modern periods, inducing a reduction in recharge rates due to hydrological memory effects. This study enhances understanding of climate-water interactions, offering a comprehensive view of groundwater dynamics in central Mediterranean and highlighting the importance of the past for sustainable future strategies. Leveraging this understanding can address water scarcity and enhance basin resilience.
A visualization method for quickly detecting nitrite ions in breath condensate using a portable closed bipolar electrochemical sensor
Authors: Azhdeh Afsaneh , Mashhadizadeh Mohammad Hossein , Birk Buhl Kristian
Published: January 2024

A smartphone-integrated sensor detects lung inflammation with high sensitivity by measuring nitrite ions in breath condensate, offering potential for early diagnosis.
A novel label-free capillary electrophoresis LED-induced fluorescence platform based on catalytic hairpin assembly for sensitive detection of multiple circulating tumor DNA
Authors: Sun Yanyan , He Si , Peng Yufei , Liu Min , Xu Danke
Published: January 2024

The high-sensitivity, low cost, no special instruments and equipment, no need for fluorescence modification of hairpin probes in advance, high automation, minimal sample consumption, and simple detection of multiple ctDNAs.
Color changing bioadhesive barrier for peripherally inserted central catheters
Authors: Djordjevic Ivan , Ellis Elizabeth , Singh Juhi , Ali Naziruddin , Pena Edgar M. , Rajarethinam Ravisankar , Manikandan Lakshmanan , Goh Jason , Lim Sierin , Steele Terry
Published: January 2024

Elastic anti-bacterial adhesive barrier for catheter wound site protection against blood stream infections. Point-of-care detection of bacterial infection by color change of adhesive film.
Red-light operable photosensitizer with symmetry-breaking charge transfer induced intersystem crossing for polymerization of methyl methacrylate
Authors: Mahmood Zafar , Cai Shuqing , Rehmat Noreen , Di Donato Mariangela , Zhao Jianzhang , Sun Shanshan , Li Mingde , Huo Yanping , Ji Shaomin
Published: January 2024

The first example of a red-light operable photosensitizer with efficient symmetry breaking charge transfer induced intersystem crossing (SBCT-ISC) is presented and potential in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate is demonstrated.
Project M: investigating the effect of additives on calcium carbonate crystallisation through a school citizen science program
Authors: Murray Claire A. , Scientists Project M , Holland Laura , O'Brien Rebecca , Richards Alice , Baker Annabelle R. , Basham Mark , Bond David , Connor Leigh D. , Day Sarah J. , Filik Jacob , Fisher Stuart , Holloway Peter , Levik Karl , Mercado Ronaldo , Potter Jonathan , Tang Chiu C. , Thompson Stephen P. , Parker Julia E.
Published: January 2024

Crystallisation pathways of calcium carbonate are strongly influenced by the presence of additives. Through X-ray diffraction, samples made by the Project M Scientists reveal the effect of amino acid and related additives on the crystal structures of calcite and vaterite.
g-ZnO/Si9C15: a S-scheme heterojunction with high carrier mobility for photo-electro catalysis of water splitting
Authors: Shen Yang , Yuan Zhihao , Cui Zhen , Ma Deming , Yuan Pei , Cheng Fengjiao , Yang Kunqi , Dong Yanbo , Li Enling
Published: January 2024

The g-ZnO/Si9C15 S-scheme heterojunction exhibits high electron carrier mobility, PCE and corrected STH efficiency, and low over-voltage of the electrocatalytic HER.
The formation mechanism of Sc-based metallofullerenes: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Fan Huichen , Liu Zhenyu , Gan Li-Hua , Wang Chun-Ru
Published: January 2024

The formation mechanism of Sc-based metallofullerenes.
A density-matrix adaptation of the Hückel method to weak covalent networks
Authors: Van Dorn Laura , Sanov Andrei
Published: January 2024

The coupled-monomers model views the electron as the simplest chemical reagent and provides insight into charge sharing and localisation. Trimer ions emerge as particularly stable structures.
Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes for energy applications
Authors: Lei Dandan , Zhang Zhen , Jiang Lei
Published: January 2024

Bioinspired 2D nanofluidic membranes enable efficient and selective ion transport. Further research in this area is essential to facilitate the development of high-performance energy conversion and storage devices for a sustainable future.
Simplifying silver isotope analysis of metallic samples: using silver nitrate precipitation to avoid perilous chloride formation
Authors: McCoy-West Alex J. , Davis Alison M. , Wainwright Ashlea N. , Tomkins Andrew G.
Published: January 2024

Time efficient chemical conversion to produce suitable medium for silver isotope analyses.
Base-mediated trimerization of enones under solvent-free and ball-milling conditions
Authors: Shao Gang , Li Pinhua , Yin Zheng-Chun , Chen Jun-Shen , Xia Xu-Ling , Wang Guan-Wu
Published: January 2024

An efficient trimerization of enones under solvent-free and ambient conditions has been developed to provide 1,3,5-triaryl-2,4-acyl-cyclohexanols.
Synthesis and real structure of RUB-11, a novel high-density silica zeolite based on magadiite layers
Authors: Grosskreuz Isabel , Krysiak Yaşar , Gies Hermann , Mugnaioli Enrico , Marler Bernd
Published: January 2024

The discovery of new zeolite framework types plays an important role in producing new porous materials for applications such as adsorption, catalysis, separation, etc.
Hydrogen production via steam reforming of methanol on Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts: the effect of TiO2 addition mode
Authors: Huang Min , Bo Qifei , Li Juan , Qiao Jingxuan , Yuan Shanliang , Zhang Biao , Chen Honglin , Jiang Yi
Published: January 2024

The activity and thermal stability of TiO2-doped Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts were investigated by varying the TiO2 addition method.
Graphene induced N/O doping and structural regulation of carbon nanofibers for enhanced sodium storage
Authors: He Yuancheng , Shen Zhimeng , Zhang Shujun , Chang Gaobo , Huang Cheng , Li Zhong , Zhao Hanqing
Published: January 2024

Nitrogen-doped carbon/carbon composite nanofibers have expanded layer spacing, abundant surface functional groups and a rich pore structure to store Na+, resulting in excellent electrochemical performance.
Bacterial polyynes uncovered: a journey through their bioactive properties, biosynthetic mechanisms, and sustainable production strategies
Authors: Chin Wei-Chih , Zhou Yang-Zhi , Wang Hao-Yung , Feng Yu-Ting , Yang Ru-Yin , Huang Zih-Fang , Yang Yu-Liang
Published: January 2024

This review explores bacterial polyynes' biosynthesis, structures, and biotech applications, with insights on enhancing production through metabolic and protein engineering.
Marine natural products
Authors: Carroll Anthony R. , Copp Brent R. , Grkovic Tanja , Keyzers Robert A. , Prinsep Michèle R.
Published: January 2024

A comprehensive review of 1411 new MNPs and their structural diversity analysis and including the cyanobacterial metabolite lezoside.
Recent progress on covalent organic frameworks for photocatalytic hydrogen generationviawater splitting
Authors: Zhu Shan-Shan , Zhang Zhenwei , Li Zhongping , Liu Xiaoming
Published: January 2024

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with permanent porosity, long-range order and rigid backbones offer a promising material platform for photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production.
Cu-catalyzed alkylarylation of alkenes via N-directed remote C(sp3)–H functionalization
Authors: Rui Rong , Wang Bin , Xu Xiao-Jing , Zhang Zhe , Chen Xi , Liu Xue-Yuan
Published: January 2024

Herein, we report a copper-catalyzed alkylarylation reaction of alkenes using N-fluoroamides and arylboronic acids.
Functionalization of Shorea faguetiana biochar using Fe2O3 nanoparticles and MXene for rapid removal of methyl blue and lead from both single and binary systems
Authors: Bukhari Aysha , Ijaz Irfan , Nazir Ammara , Hussain Sajjad , Zain Hina , Gilani Ezaz , lfseisi Ahmad A. , Ahmad Hijaz
Published: January 2024

Shorea faguetiana biochar was functionalized with Fe2O3 and MXene, resulting in composites (designated Fe2O3/BC/MXene) that efficiently, rapidly, and selectively adsorbed Pb2+ and the dye methyl blue from wastewater.
Efficient and eco-friendly detection of gabapentin using nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots: an analytical and green chemistry approach
Authors: Almalki Atiah H. , Abdelazim Ahmed H. , Alosaimi Manal E. , Abduljabbar Maram H. , Alnemari Reem M. , Bamaga Ahmed K. , Serag Ahmed
Published: January 2024

An environmentally friendly N-CQDs-based fluorescence sensor for gabapentin detection is developed, with optimal detection conditions and high selectivity, accuracy, and precision in real sample analysis.
Alkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids with tailored anions and cations for CO2 capture
Authors: Osman Abdelbagi , Ziyada Abobakr K. , Khan Abdul Majeed , Rajab Fahd
Published: January 2024

The effect of different cations and anions in alkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids on CO2 solubility was investigated systematically.
Innovative microwave-assisted biosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles loaded with platinum(ii) based complex for halting colon cancer: cellular, molecular, and computational investigations
Authors: Sedky Nada K. , Fawzy Iten M. , Hassan Afnan , Mahdy Noha Khalil , Attia Reem T. , Shamma Samir N. , Alfaifi Mohammad Y. , Elbehairi Serag Eldin , Mokhtar Fatma A. , Fahmy Sherif Ashraf
Published: January 2024

In the current study, we biosynthesized copper oxide NPs (CuO NPs) utilizing the essential oils extracted from Boswellia carterii oleogum resin, which served as a bioreductant and capping agent with the help of microwave energy.
Advancements in 3D-printed architectures for electromagnetic interference shields
Authors: Zhang Guanhua , Wang Haipeng , Xie Wei , Zhou Siyuan , Nie Zeqi , Niwamanya Gilbert , Zhao Zhihui , Duan Huigao
Published: January 2024

This paper offers a comprehensive overview of 3D-printed electromagnetic shielding. It covers principles, simulation/testing, 3D printing techniques, materials, and function-oriented shields. It also discusses challenges and future development.
Preparation of carbon–sulphur composite electrodes by solution impregnation and application to all-solid-state lithium–sulphur batteries
Authors: Niwa Sakura , Fujii Yuta , Rosero-Navarro Nataly Carolina , Miura Akira , Tadanaga Kiyoharu , Maniwa Riku , Fujimoto Misaki , Takada Harumi , Morooka Masahiro
Published: January 2024

Composite electrodes were prepared by impregnating both sulphur and solid electrolyte solutions into the interior of the porous carbon and drying them, and the composites were applied to all solid-state lithium-sulphur batteries.
Accelerated and Highly Correlated ASIC Synthesis of AI Hardware Subsystems Using CGP
Authors: Prashanth H. C. , Rao Madhav
Published: January 2024

Unconventional functions, including activation functions and power functions, are extremely hard‐to‐realize primarily due to the difficulty in arriving at the hierarchical design. The hierarchical design allows the synthesis tool to map the functionality with that of standard cells employed through the regular ASIC synthesis flow. For conventional functions, the hierarchical design is structured and then supplied to the synthesis flow, whereas, for unconventional functions, the same method is not reliable, since the current synthesis method does not offer any design‐space exploration scheme to arrive at an easy‐to‐realize design entity. The unconventional functions either take a long synthesis run‐time or additional efforts are spent in restructuring the hierarchical design for the desired function to synthesizable ones. Cartesian genetic programing (CGP) allows to not only incorporate custom logic gates for synthesizing the hierarchical design but also aids in the design‐space exploration for the targeted function through the custom gates. The CGP configuration evolves difficult‐to‐realize complex functions with multiple solutions, and filtering through desired Pareto‐optimal requirements offers a unique hierarchical design. Incorporating CGP‐derived hierarchical designs into the traditional synthesis flow is instrumental for implementing and evaluating higher‐order designs comprising nonlinear functional constructs. Six activation functions and power functions that fall in the category of unconventional functions are realized by the CGP method using custom cells to demonstrate the capability. Further, the hierarchical design of these unconventional functions is flattened and compared with the same function that is directly synthesized using basic gates. The CGP‐derived synthesis method reports 3× less synthesis time for realizing the complex functions at the hierarchical level compared to the synthesis using basic gate cells. Hardware characteristics and error metrics are also investigated for the CGP realized complex functions and are made freely available for further usage to the research and designers’ community.
Active disturbance rejection distributed secondary control for DC microgrids
Authors: Li Jianlin , You Honghao , Liu Shuo , Li Xingchen , Ding Ziyang , Zou Fei
Published: January 2024

A novel control scheme is presented to eliminate the negative effects of communication disturbances, which introduces active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) in the control strategy design to achieve the objectives of the restoration of the bus voltage and the sharing of the power even in the presence of disturbances and delays in communication. Simultaneously, its dynamic disturbance decoupling feature is used to realise the decoupling between power and voltage, so that the proposed controller only exchanges power information with its neighbours, reducing the communication burden and simplifying control structure. The control performance of the strategy is verified by employing steady‐state analysis. The impact of controller parameters is studied by establishing a small signal model. Finally, both simulation cases and experimental tests prove the feasibility of this scheme.
Study on the dynamic mechanical properties of winding‐block axial structure considering short circuit strain rate effect
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Wang Ping , Geng Jianghai , Zhang Zikang , Lü Fangcheng , Gao Shuguo
Published: January 2024

Transformers may suffer multiple short‐circuit impacts during long‐term operation, and axial instability is one of the typical types of serious accidents caused by short‐circuit faults. The axial instability form of the winding‐block structure is analysed, and the dynamic solution of the winding short‐circuit electromagnetic force is obtained by establishing the three‐dimensional magnetic‐circuit‐force multi‐physical field coupling simulation model. The influence of strain rate on the cushion block constitutive equation is corrected, and the modified model is verified by short‐circuit impact test and quasi‐static test. The research results show that for 110 kV 31.5 MVA transformers, the maximum electromagnetic axial resultant force of winding is 363.16 kN, and the ultimate tilt force is 1214.2 kN. The pre‐tightening force configuration is accordingly recommended to range from 363.16 to 608.28 kN, which is narrowed by 18.49% compared with the static calculation method; Meanwhile, adding a logarithmic strain rate correction term to the classical constitutive equation of the cushion block can achieve a good correction of the stress‐strain relationship with the coefficient of determination above 0.99, and the cushion block has a larger elastic modulus under high strain rate load. The research results provide an important theoretical reference for the axial stability structure of transformers.