bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Piezoresistive 2D MoS2/PEGDA/PANI Covalent Hydrogels for the Sensing of Low‐to‐Medium Pressure
Authors: Domenici Sara , Micheli Sara , Crisci Matteo , Rohnke Marcus , Hergert Hannes , Allione Marco , Wang Mengjiao , Smarlsy Bernd , Klar Peter J. , Lamberti Francesco , Cimetta Elisa , Ceseracciu Luca , Gatti Teresa
Published: June 2024

Wearable technologies are attracting increasing attention in the materials science field, prompting a quest for active components with beneficial functional attributes whilst ensuring human and environmental safety. Hydrogels are highly biocompatible platforms with interesting mechanical properties, which can be exploited for the construction of strain sensors. In order to improve the directionality of their strain response and combine it with electrical properties to fabricate piezoresistive devices, it is possible to incorporate various types of nanofillers within the polymeric network of the hydrogels. 2D materials are ideal nanofillers thanks to their intrinsic two‐dimensional anisotropy and unique electronic properties. Herein, the covalent functionalization of 2D 1T‐MoS2 is exploited to build robust hybrid cross‐linked networks with a polyethylene glycol diacrylate gel (PEGDA). The conductivity of this nanocomposite is also further improved by inducing the interfacial polymerization of aniline. The resulting free‐standing samples demonstrate a linear and highly reversible piezoresistive response in a pressure range compatible with that of peripheral blood, while also featuring good compatibility with human skin cells, thereby making them interesting options for incorporation into wearable strain sensors.
Recent advancements and challenges in orbital‐free density functional theory
Authors: Xu Qiang , Ma Cheng , Mi Wenhui , Wang Yanchao , Ma Yanming
Published: June 2024

Orbital‐free density functional theory (OFDFT) stands out as a many‐body electronic structure approach with a low computational cost that scales linearly with system size, making it well suitable for large‐scale simulations. The past decades have witnessed impressive progress in OFDFT, which opens a new avenue to capture the complexity of realistic systems (e.g., solids, liquids, and warm dense matters) and provide a complete description of some complicated physical phenomena under realistic conditions (e.g., dislocation mobility, ductile processes, and vacancy diffusion). In this review, we first present a concise summary of the major methodological advances in OFDFT, placing particular emphasis on kinetic energy density functional and the schemes to evaluate the electron–ion interaction energy. We then give a brief overview of the current status of OFDFT developments in finite‐temperature and time‐dependent regimes, as well as our developed OFDFT‐based software package, named by ATLAS. Finally, we highlight perspectives for further development in this fascinating field, including the major outstanding issues to be solved and forthcoming opportunities to explore large‐scale materials.

This article is categorized under:

Electronic Structure Theory > Density Functional Theory

Software > Simulation Methods

Quantum Computing > Theory Development
Lining up a positive semi-definite six-point bootstrap
Authors: Antunes António , Harris Sebastian , Kaviraj Apratim , Schomerus Volker
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In this work, we initiate a positive semi-definite numerical bootstrap program for multi-point correlators. Considering six-point functions of operators on a line, we reformulate the crossing symmetry equation for a pair of comb-channel expansions as a semi-definite programming problem. We provide two alternative formulations of this problem. At least one of them turns out to be amenable to numerical implementation. Through a combination of analytical and numerical techniques, we obtain rigorous bounds on CFT data in the triple-twist channel for several examples.
Holography of a single free matrix
Authors: de Mello Koch Robert , Roy Pratik , Van Zyl Hendrik J. R.
Published: June 2024

Abstract

In this paper we consider the collective field theory description of a single free massless scalar matrix theory in 2+1 dimensions. The collective fields are given by k-local operators obtained by tracing a product of k-matrices. For k = 2 and k = 3 we argue that the collective field packages the fields associated to a single and two Regge trajectories respectively. We also determine the coordinate transformation between the coordinates of the collective field theory and the bulk AdS space time. This is used to verify that the bulk equations of motion holds in the collective field theory description.
Gerichtliche Obduktionen nach Anhaltungen bei Feuerbestattungsleichenschau: Gegenüberstellung von Todesursache und Todesart vor und nach der Obduktion
Authors: Stobbe F. , Dokter M. , Philipp K.-P. , Bockholdt B.
Published: June 2024

Nach der vorhandenen Literatur sind zwischen 20 und 47,5 % der auf Todesbescheinigungen dokumentierten Todesursachen nicht korrekt. Daraus ist erkennbar, dass die Mortalitätsstatistik erhebliche Defizite aufweist. Es ergab sich die Frage, ob diese Fehlerhäufigkeit auch im Versorgungsgebiet des Instituts für Rechtsmedizin der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald nachweisbar ist.

Dazu wurden die im Rahmen der Feuerbestattungsleichenschau angehaltenen Sterbefälle aus dem Zeitraum vom 01.01.2013 bis zum 31.12.2022, bei denen eine gerichtliche Obduktion angeordnet wurde, untersucht. Von 323 obduzierten Sterbefällen wurden neben allgemeinen Aspekten besonders die Angaben zu Todesursache und Todesart der Todesbescheinigung mit den bei der Obduktion erhobenen Ergebnissen verglichen. Zur besseren Vergleichbarkeit wurden die Todesursachen für diese Untersuchung in vordefinierte Kategorien unterteilt.

Im Untersuchungszeitraum wurden 2389 Sterbefälle angehalten und hiervon 323 gerichtlich obduziert, davon waren 54 % Männer und 46 % Frauen; das Durchschnittsalter lag im Gesamtkollektiv bei 72 Jahren.

Als häufigste Todesart wurde vor und nach der gerichtlichen Obduktion eine natürliche Todesart festgestellt. In 44 Fällen wurde durch die gerichtliche Obduktion eine nicht natürliche Todesart aufgedeckt. In drei Fällen ergab die gerichtliche Obduktion todesursächliche Gewalteinwirkung durch fremde Hand. Einer dieser Fälle wies bei der Feuerbestattungsleichenschau eine staatsanwaltschaftliche Freigabe auf.

Als häufigste Todesursache (n = 193) war auf den Todesbescheinigungen eine kardiale Ursache im Rahmen der obligatorischen ärztlichen Leichenschau dokumentiert worden, die sich in 64 % autoptisch bestätigte. Insgesamt zeigte sich eine Übereinstimmung der Todesursachen in dem Untersuchungsgut in 47,7 % der Fälle; unter zusätzlicher Berücksichtigung der Todesart waren es 43 %.

Ohne gerichtliche Obduktion wäre in 52,3 % eine falsche Todesursache in die Mortalitätsstatistik eingegangen.

Zum Aufdecken bisher nicht erkannter nicht natürlicher Todesfälle ist die Feuerbestattungsleichenschau, wie sie in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern durchgeführt wird, ein Faktor zur Verbesserung der Todesursachenstatistik. Die vorgelegte Untersuchung zeigt, dass mit dieser Vorgehensweise nicht auf die Feuerbestattungsleichenschau verzichtet werden kann.
„Virtual reality perimetry“ und „home perimetry“
Authors: Häner Nathanael Urs , Chen Hsin-Yang , Lincke Joel-Benjamin , Shang Xiao , Zinkernagel Martin Sebastian , Unterlauft Jan Darius
Published: June 2024

Im vorliegenden Artikel sollen auf „virtual reality“ (VR) basierende Verfahren zur „home perimetry“ (HP) beschrieben werden, und es soll ein Überblick darüber gegeben werden, welche Verfahren bereits heute einsetzbar sind.
Oral alkalinizing supplementation suppressed intrarenal reactive oxidative stress in mild-stage chronic kidney disease: a randomized cohort study
Authors: Abe Michiaki , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Koshiba Seizo , Takayama Shin , Nakai Toshiki , Nishioka Koichiro , Yamasaki Satomi , Kawaguchi Kazuhiko , Umeyama Masanori , Masaura Atsuko , Ishizawa Kota , Arita Ryutaro , Kanno Takeshi , Akaishi Tetsuya , Miyazaki Mariko , Abe Takaaki , Tanaka Tetsuhiro , Ishii Tadashi ,   CKOALA study group
Published: June 2024

Background

The beneficial effects of oral supplements with alkalinizing agents in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have been limited to the severe stages. We investigated whether two types of supplements, sodium bicarbonate (SB) and potassium citrate/sodium citrate (PCSC), could maintain renal function in patients with mild-stage CKD.

Methods

This was a single-center, open-labeled, randomized cohort trial. Study participants with CKD stages G2, G3a, and G3b were enrolled between March 2013 and January 2019 and randomly assigned by stratification according to age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and diabetes. They were followed up for 6 months (short-term study) for the primary endpoints and extended to 2 years (long-term study) for the secondary endpoints. Supplementary doses were adjusted to achieve an early morning urinary pH of 6.8–7.2. We observed renal dysfunction or new-onset cerebrovascular disease and evaluated urinary surrogate markers for renal injury.

Results

Overall, 101 participants were registered and allocated to three groups: standard (n = 32), SB (n = 34), and PCSC (n = 35). Two patients in the standard group attained the primary endpoints (renal stones and overt proteinuria) but were not statistically significant. There was one patient in the standard reduced eGFR during the long-term study (p = 0.042 by ANOVA). SB increased proteinuria (p = 0.0139, baseline vs. 6 months), whereas PCSC significantly reduced proteinuria (p = 0.0061, baseline vs. 1 year, or p = 0.0186, vs. 2 years) and urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (p = 0.0481, baseline vs. 6 months).

Conclusion

This study is the first to report supplementation of PCSC reduced intrarenal oxidative stress in patients with mild-stage CKD.

Graphical abstract
Diversity and composition of agroforestry species in two agro-ecological zones of Rwanda
Authors: Ruticumugambi Jean Aimé , Kaplin Beth , Blondeel Haben , Mukuralinda Athanase , Ndoli Alain , Verdoodt Ann , Rutebuka Jules , Imanirareba Ephrem , Uwizeyimana Valens , Gatesi Julienne , Nkurikiye Jean Bosco , Verbeeck Hans , Verheyen Kris , Vancoillie Frieke
Published: June 2024

This study delves into the diversity and composition of agroforestry species in Rwanda's Eastern Plateau and Eastern Savannah agro-ecological zones. Examining these systems across diverse landscapes is crucial for selecting species adapted to local conditions. We surveyed four landscapes with varying tree cover levels, using stratified random sampling to allocate 240 plots for detailed field inventory. We analyzed dendrometric characteristics of woody vegetation, focusing on plants with ≥ 4 cm diameter at breast height (DBH). Exotic tree species comprised over 75% of trees across all landscapes. Diversity indices indicated significant differences in plant communities between the Eastern Savannah and Eastern Plateau, with higher diversity in the former. Sørensen's similarity coefficient for woody species between the two regions showed a moderate level of similarity (approximately 53%). However, there was a significant difference in the equitability of on-farm tree species between the zones, suggesting non-identical distribution patterns. The most common and dominant tree species were Grevillea robusta, Mangifera indica, and Persea americana, primarily used for timber and fruit production. Most encountered trees were small and scattered, with nearly 80% having a DBH below 20 cm, highlighting the prevalence of young trees. The dominance of exotic species emphasizes the need for further research on their impact on agricultural biodiversity, informing sustainable land management practices in Rwanda and similar contexts.
Nietzsche’s Legacy and Constitutional Values: A Deconstructive Reading
Authors: de Ville Jacques
Published: June 2024

Derrida’s recently published Life Death seminars have again highlighted the importance of values within the ongoing philosophical conversation about overcoming metaphysics. The seminars further indirectly raise a matter of great importance for constitutional theory. Values have become central to constitutional discourse since the mid-twentieth century despite critique due to their supposedly subjective nature, the potential conflict between them, and the legal uncertainty that they bring about. This essay enquires into the origin, logic, structure, and operation of (constitutional) values. It does so through a close reading of the texts of Heidegger and Derrida in which Nietzsche’s call for a revaluation of values takes on a central role, along with a reflection on the relation between life and Being, as well as between life and death. A close reading of these texts in turn makes possible an unorthodox reading of Schmitt’s newly translated text on constitutional values in The Tyranny of Values, which finally opens the possibility of a move beyond such values and thus beyond metaphysics.
Clinical efficacy of ureteroscopy-assisted laparoscopic ureteroplasty in the treatment of ureteral stricture after pelvic surgery
Authors: Xiao Jiansheng , Liu Tairong , Zhu Qiuhua , Qiu Liling , Ge Jiaqi , Chen Hua
Published: June 2024

Objective

This study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of ureteroscope-assisted laparoscopic ureteroplasty in treating ureteral stricture after pelvic surgery.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 95 patients treated for ureteral stricture at Ganzhou People's Hospital from June 2017 to March 2023 after pelvic surgery. In this group, 49 patients underwent ureteroscope and laparoscopic ureteroplasty under lithotomy position. The control group consisted of 46 patients who underwent simple laparoscopic ureteroplasty in a supine position. Postoperative data from both groups were collected and compared, including operation time, amount of blood loss during surgery, postoperative hospital stay, incidence of complications, success rate of ureteroplasty, and effectiveness of the operation.

Results

The success rate of end-to-end ureteral anastomosis in the observation group was 93.88%, and the operation effectiveness rate was 100%. The success rate in the control group was 78.26% and the operation effectiveness rate was 89.1%.The average operation time and intraoperative blood loss in the observation group were (121.3 ± 44.6) min and (137.5 ± 34.2) ml, respectively, while in the control group they were (151.2 ± 52.3) min and (165.6 ± 45.8) ml, the difference were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of perioperative complications in the observation group was 2%, significantly lower than that in the control group (19.6%) (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Ureteroscope-assisted laparoscopic ureteroplasty for ureteral stricture after pelvic surgery has the advantages of shortened operation time, increased success rate, and reduced incidence of complications, making it an optional surgical scheme in clinical practice.
Anthropogenic dispersal explains the phylogeography of insular edible dormouse Glis glis in the Mediterranean basin
Authors: Mori Emiliano , Ancillotto Leonardo , Viviano Andrea , Sogliani Davide , Amori Giovanni , Vella Fabrizio , Boano Giovanni , Bertolino Sandro , Monti Flavio
Published: June 2024

The history of human colonisation in the Mediterranean has long been recognised as a crucial factor influencing biodiversity patterns in southern Europe. Nonetheless, our understanding of how anthropogenic and natural dispersal events interacted in shaping wildlife distributions, particularly in small mammals, remains limited. The edible dormouse Glis glis, a widespread European species, whose distribution includes several islands in the Mediterranean, present an opportunity to investigate these interactions. In this work, we used the edible dormouse to test hypotheses regarding the interplay between natural and anthropogenic dispersal in shaping species’ distributions in Mediterranean archipelagos. We compared genetic sequences from samples collected on Mediterranean islands (Elba Island, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Salina Island) and the mainland. Twenty-one samples were analysed by amplifying and sequencing a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. Results indicated that samples from Sardinia and Elba Island belong to the same clade of mainland Italy, specifically to the subspecies G. g. italicus. This finding does not support the existence of an endemic Sardinian subspecies and suggests recent introduction events. In contrast, Salina Island only included individuals belonging to the Sicilian subspecies, whereas Sicily hosts a mixed population of G. g. italicus and G. g. insularis. The Corsican population likely originated from a different stock than Sardinia, possibly originating from Northern Italy or southern France. Overall, our findings underscore the significant role of anthropogenic dispersal in shaping the current distribution of the edible dormouse on islands.
Synthesis and molecular docking simulation on the antimicrobial effects of halogenated vanillin-azo dyes and schiff base derivatives
Authors: Hissam Mohamad Azmeer , Ngaini Zainab , Zamakshshari Nor Hisam , Hejemi Fatin Nur Amira Mohammad , Arni Fatin Salihah , Halim Ainaa Nadiah Abd
Published: June 2024

Lead compounds containing nitrogen pharmacophores from natural resources have garnered interest among researchers due to their potential for drug development. However, the extractions of the active metabolites are usually labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, halogenated vanillin derivatives featuring azo dyes (N=N) (1a-1 h) and Schiff base (C=N) (2a-2 h) have been synthesized via diazonium coupling and nucleophilic substitution reaction, respectively. The comparative effect of N=N and C=N moieties was evaluated for antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli via disc diffusion method. Incorporating C=N (8–13 mm) into the vanillin network showed excellent inhibition against S. aureus compared to N=N (7–8 mm) and the standard ampicillin (12 mm). While the halogenated vanillin featuring N=N (7–9 mm) and C=N (7–8 mm) moieties showed excellent zone of inhibitions against E. coli compared to the parent vanillin. The in-silico screening using AutoDock Vina, showed 2c-h (inhibition zone > 10 mm) with a high binding affinity against DNA gyrase enzyme with binding energy ranging from − 7.3 to − 7.9 kcal/mol, similar to re-docking of ampicillin − 7.6 kcal/mol and co-crystalize compounds BPH651 with − 7.5 kcal/mol. This research contributes a significant milestone in drug design, especially for the development of new antibacterial drugs with outstanding properties.

Graphical abstract
Accelerating Graph Analytics Using Attention-Based Data Prefetcher
Authors: Zhang Pengmiao , Kannan Rajgopal , Nori Anant V. , Prasanna Viktor K.
Published: June 2024

Graph analytics shows promise for solving challenging problems on relational data. However, memory constraints arise from the large size of graphs and the high complexity of algorithms. Data prefetching is a crucial technique to hide memory access latency by predicting and fetching data into the memory cache beforehand. Traditional prefetchers struggle with fixed rules in adapting to complex memory access patterns in graph analytics. Machine learning (ML) algorithms, particularly long short-term memory (LSTM) models, excel in memory access prediction. However, they encounter challenges such as difficulty in learning interleaved access patterns and high storage costs when predicting in large memory address space. In addition, there remains a gap between designing a high-performance ML-based memory access predictor and developing an effective ML-based prefetcher for an existing memory system. In this work, we propose a novel Attention-based prefetching framework to accelerate graph analytics applications. To achieve high-performance memory access prediction, we propose A2P, a novel Attention-based memory Access Predictor for graph analytics. We use the multi-head self-attention mechanism to extract features from memory traces. We design a novel bitmap labeling method to collect future deltas within a spatial range, making interleaved patterns easier to learn. We introduce a novel super page concept, allowing the model to surpass physical page constraints. To integrate A2P into a memory system, we design a three-module prefetching framework composed of an existing memory hierarchy, a prefetch controller, and the predictor A2P. In addition, we propose a hybrid design to combine A2P and existing hardware prefetchers for higher prefetching performance. We evaluate A2P and the prefetching framework using the widely used GAP benchmark. Prediction experiments show that for the top three predictions, A2P outperforms the widely used state-of-the-art LSTM-based model by 23.1% w.r.t. Precision, 21.2% w.r.t. Recall, and 10.4% w.r.t. Coverage. Prefetching experiments show that A2P provides 18.4% IPC Improvement on average, outperforming state-of-the-art prefetchers BO by 17.2%, ISB by 15.0%, and Delta-LSTM by 10.9%. The hybrid prefetcher combining A2P and ISB achieves 21.7% IPC Improvement, outperforming the hybrid of BO and ISB by 16.3%.
The impact of an online hybrid reading intervention on the reading comprehension and strategy use of Iranian English for specific purposes students in relation to an evaluated researcher-made ESP textbook
Authors: Muhammadpour Meysam , Khalili Sabet Masoud
Published: June 2024

Research suggests that English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) contexts have difficulties understanding the passages in technical English textbooks of various fields of study including computer software engineering. Few experimental studies to date have investigated the effect of an online hybrid reading intervention on the reading comprehension performance of these students. To fill this gap, the present experimental study sought to assist these students with comprehending the passages of an ESP textbook entitled ''Technical English for Computer Software Engineers'', developed for computer software engineering students of a non-profit university in Babol, Iran. In doing so, an 8-session online hybrid reading intervention featuring cognitive and metacognitive strategies was administered to an experimental group (n = 30) of ESP students, while the control group (n = 30) followed the conventional approach to teaching the reading skill. To track the participants' reading comprehension, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) reading tests were used before and after the intervention. Results showed that the treatment led to a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the reading comprehension and strategy use. In addition, the teachers' and students' perceptions with regard to the whole textbook were reported. Findings bear pedagogical significance for all the stakeholders.
Assessment and mapping of soil salinity and groundwater quality in Nijhum Island, Hatiya Upazila, Noakhali
Authors: Kamran Abdul Alim , Acharjee Mahima Ranjan , Bhowmik Pranta
Published: June 2024

Crop yield is heavily influenced by soil salinity. The objective of the research is to assess the depth wise soil salinity distribution pattern and groundwater quality by measuring physico-chemical parameters in the agricultural land of Nijhum Island, Noakhali, Bangladesh. This study also explicates the spatial variation of soil salinity in the study area. Soil samples were collected from three different depths to estimate the Electrical Conductivity (EC) using a paste of 1:5 soil and distilled water suspension (1:5 weight-to-volume method). Spatial analyst tool of ArcGIS was used and observed that the land of Nijhum Island was affected with severe salinity in almost 85% of sampling plots and 15% of sampling plots were extremely saline. The soil salinity process has been noticed due to seawater intrusion from the Bay of Bengal through the Meghna estuary which threatens crop production and soil fertility, threatening the population's livelihood. This study provides a baseline understanding of soil salinity in Nijhum Island to help decision-makers and smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods. Thus, groundwater depth did not affect soil salinity significantly. The result contradicts most studies that found a strong influence on soil salinity. Because the study area is coastal, most of the salt comes from seawater inundation and capillary rise, which reduces groundwater availability.
Concept Formation in the Wild
Authors: Engeström Yrjö
Published: June 2024

Concept formation is predominantly analyzed in classrooms and laboratory experiments, meaning the collective formation of culturally novel concepts in practical activities 'in the wild' has largely been neglected. However, understanding and influencing the complexity and contradictions of the present world demands powerful concepts that can make a difference in practice. Going beyond the understanding of concepts as individually acquired static labels, this book develops a dialectical theory of collective formation of novel concepts in the wild, in everyday activities. Drawing on cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT), concepts are seen as contested and future-oriented means for guiding activities and their transformations. Detailed real-life examples of germ-cell concepts show how they can radically influence the course of development in different activities. Helping to identify and foster the formation of potentially powerful concepts in fields of practice, it is essential reading for researchers, advanced students and practitioners across human and social sciences. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.
ITCZ Response to Disabling Parameterized Convection in Global Fixed‐SST GFDL‐AM4 Aquaplanet Simulations at 50 and 6 km Resolutions
Authors: Clark Joseph P. , Lin Pu , Hill Spencer A.
Published: June 2024

As the community increases climate model horizontal resolutions and experiments with removing moist convective parameterizations entirely, it is imperative to understand how these advances affect the InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). We investigate how the ITCZ responds to deactivating parameterized convection at two resolutions, 50 and 6 km, in fixed sea surface temperature, aquaplanet simulations with the NOAA GFDL AM4 atmospheric model. Disabling parameterized convection at 50 km resolution narrows the ITCZ and increases its precipitation minus evaporation (P–E) maximum by ∼78%, whereas at 6 km resolution doing so widens the ITCZ and decreases its P–E maximum by ∼50%. Using the column‐integrated moist static energy budget, we decompose these tropical P–E responses into contributions from changes in atmospheric energy input (AEI), gross moist stability, and gross moisture stratification. At 6 km, the ITCZ weakens due to increased gross moist stability. Disabling the convective parameterization at this finer resolution deepens the circulation, favoring more efficient poleward energy transport out of the deep tropics and reduced precipitation in the core of the ITCZ. Conversely, at 50 km the ITCZ strengthening is primarily driven by AEI, which in turn stems primarily from increased low cloud amount and thus longwave cloud radiative cooling in the Hadley cell subsiding branch. The Hadley circulation overturning intensifies to produce poleward energy fluxes that compensate the longwave cooling, yielding a stronger ITCZ. We further show that the low level diabatic heating profiles over the descending region are instrumental in understanding such diverse responses.
An Empirical Predictive Model for Atmospheric H Lyman‐α Emission Brightness at Mars
Authors: Mayyasi Majd , Mayyasi Adil
Published: June 2024

Characterizing the abundance of atmospheric hydrogen (H) at Mars is critical for determining the current and, subsequently, the primordial water content on the planet. At present, the atmospheric abundance of Martian H is not directly measured but is simulated using proprietary models that are constrained with observations of H Lyman‐α emission brightness, as well as with observations of other atmospheric parameters, such as temperature and Solar UV irradiance. Publicly available brightness measurements require further processing to have scientific utility. To make the data needed to model H abundances and escape rates more accessible to the community, we use H Lyman‐α emissions made with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. The near decade‐spanning data set is reduced to obtain disk‐pointed averages of the H brightness in the upper atmosphere of Mars and then analyzed for statistical trends across multiple variables. The H Lyman‐α emission brightness is found to be dependent on Solar illumination, Solar cycle, and season. The resulting data trends are used to derive empirical fits to build a predictive framework for future observations or an extrapolative tool for estimates of water content at previous epochs. Data that was intentionally not included in the empirical derivations are used to validate the predictions successfully to within 18% accuracy, on average. This first‐of‐its kind predictive model for H brightness is presented to the community and can be used with atmospheric models to further derive and interpret the abundances and escape rate of H atoms at Mars.
Prompt Disappearance of Magnetospheric Chorus Waves Caused by High‐Speed Magnetosheath Jets
Authors: Zhou Xuan , Gao Xinliang , Lu Quanming , Hajra Rajkumar , Ke Yangguang , Chen Rui , Ma Jiuqi
Published: June 2024

Magnetosheath high‐speed jets (HSJs), localized impulses of dynamic pressure, are attracting growing attention due to their geoeffectiveness. However, how HSJs modulate chorus waves in the magnetosphere still remains unclear. Utilizing combined observations of the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms satellites A and E, we report, for the first time, the prompt disappearance of the magnetospheric chorus waves caused by a HSJ. Such wave disappearance is directly due to the flux drop of energetic electrons (∼10–100 keV), leading to the cessation of wave generation, which is supported by the linear theoretical analysis. We propose that the flux drop results from the local indentation of magnetopause after the HSJ impact, where two new smaller magnetic mirrors are formed off the equator and part of electrons are then expelled by the mirror force. The HSJs should be an important factor in modulating chorus waves because of their high occurrence rate.
Identifying unstable CNG repeat loci in the human genome: a heuristic approach and implications for neurological disorders
Authors: Suroliya Varun , Uppili Bharathram , Kumar Manish , Jha Vineet , Srivastava Achal K. , Faruq Mohammed
Published: June 2024

Tandem nucleotide repeat (TNR) expansions, particularly the CNG nucleotide configuration, are associated with a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, we aimed to identify novel unstable CNG repeat loci associated with the neurogenetic disorder spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Using a computational approach, 15,069 CNG repeat loci in the coding and noncoding regions of the human genome were identified. Based on the feature selection criteria (repeat length >10 and functional location of repeats), we selected 52 repeats for further analysis and evaluated the repeat length variability in 100 control subjects. A subset of 19 CNG loci observed to be highly variable in control subjects was selected for subsequent analysis in 100 individuals with SCA. The genes with these highly variable repeats also exhibited higher gene expression levels in the brain according to the tissue expression dataset (GTEx). No pathogenic expansion events were identified in patient samples, which is a limitation given the size of the patient group examined; however, these loci contain potential risk alleles for expandability. Recent studies have implicated GLS, RAI1, GIPC1, MED15, EP400, MEF2A, and CNKSR2 in neurological diseases, with GLS, GIPC1, MED15, RAI1, and MEF2A sharing the same repeat loci reported in this study. This finding validates the approach of evaluating repeat loci in different populations and their possible implications for human pathologies.
Neurophysiological recordings from parietal areas of macaque brain during an instructed-delay reaching task
Authors: Diomedi S. , Vaccari F. E. , Gamberini M. , De Vitis M. , Filippini M. , Fattori P.
Published: June 2024

Facilitating data sharing in scientific research, especially in the domain of animal studies, holds immense value, particularly in mitigating distress and enhancing the efficiency of data collection. This study unveils a meticulously curated collection of neural activity data extracted from six electrophysiological datasets recorded from three parietal areas (V6A, PEc, PE) of two Macaca fascicularis during an instructed-delay foveated reaching task. This valuable resource is now accessible to the public, featuring spike timestamps, behavioural event timings and supplementary metadata, all presented alongside a comprehensive description of the encompassing structure. To enhance accessibility, data are stored as HDF5 files, a convenient format due to its flexible structure and the capability to attach diverse information to each hierarchical sub-level. To guarantee ready-to-use datasets, we also provide some MATLAB and Python code examples, enabling users to quickly familiarize themselves with the data structure.
How material sensory properties and individual differences influence the haptic aesthetic appeal of visually presented stimuli
Authors: Campagna Marella , Chamberlain Rebecca
Published: June 2024

Touch plays a crucial role for humans. Despite its centrality in sensory experiences, the field of haptic aesthetics is underexplored. So far, existing research has revealed that preferences in the haptic domain are related to stimulus properties and the Gestalt laws of grouping. Additionally, haptic aesthetics is influenced by top-down processes, e.g., stimulus familiarity, and is likely to be modulated by personality and expertise. To further our understanding of these influences on haptic aesthetic appraisal, the current study investigated the imagined haptic aesthetic appeal of visually presented material surfaces, considering the role of haptic expertise, Need for touch, personality traits. The results revealed a positive influence of familiarity, simplicity, smoothness, warmth, lightness, dryness, slipperiness and a negative influence of complexity on individuals' aesthetic responses. While the study failed to support the predicted influence of Need for touch and haptic expertise on aesthetic responses, results did reveal an influence of openness to experience, conscientiousness and neuroticism. Despite the limitations related to the indirect stimuli presentation (vision only), the findings contribute to the relatively unexplored role of bottom-up and top-down features in haptic aesthetics that might be incorporated into the design of consumers’ products to better meet their preferences.
ASD-SWNet: a novel shared-weight feature extraction and classification network for autism spectrum disorder diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Jian , Guo Jifeng , Lu Donglei , Cao Yuanyuan
Published: June 2024

The traditional diagnostic process for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is subjective, where early and accurate diagnosis significantly affects treatment outcomes and life quality. Thus, improving ASD diagnostic methods is critical. This paper proposes ASD-SWNet, a new shared-weight feature extraction and classification network. It resolves the issue found in previous studies of inefficiently integrating unsupervised and supervised learning, thereby enhancing diagnostic precision. The approach utilizes functional magnetic resonance imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy, featuring an autoencoder (AE) with Gaussian noise for robust feature extraction and a tailored convolutional neural network (CNN) for classification. The shared-weight mechanism utilizes features learned by the AE to initialize the convolutional layer weights of the CNN, thereby integrating AE and CNN for joint training. A novel data augmentation strategy for time-series medical data is also introduced, tackling the problem of small sample sizes. Tested on the ABIDE-I dataset through nested ten-fold cross-validation, the method achieved an accuracy of 76.52% and an AUC of 0.81. This approach surpasses existing methods, showing significant enhancements in diagnostic accuracy and robustness. The contribution of this paper lies not only in proposing new methods for ASD diagnosis but also in offering new approaches for other neurological brain diseases.
Notch signaling regulates UNC5B to suppress endothelial proliferation, migration, junction activity, and retinal plexus branching
Authors: Raza Qanber , Nadeem Taliha , Youn Seock-Won , Swaminathan Bhairavi , Gupta Ahana , Sargis Timothy , Du Jing , Cuervo Henar , Eichmann Anne , Ackerman Susan L. , Naiche L. A. , Kitajewski Jan
Published: June 2024

Notch signaling guides vascular development and function by regulating diverse endothelial cell behaviors, including migration, proliferation, vascular density, endothelial junctions, and polarization in response to flow. Notch proteins form transcriptional activation complexes that regulate endothelial gene expression, but few of the downstream effectors that enable these phenotypic changes have been characterized in endothelial cells, limiting our understanding of vascular Notch activities. Using an unbiased screen of translated mRNA rapidly regulated by Notch signaling, we identified novel in vivo targets of Notch signaling in neonatal mouse brain endothelium, including UNC5B, a member of the netrin family of angiogenic-regulatory receptors. Endothelial Notch signaling rapidly upregulates UNC5B in multiple endothelial cell types. Loss or gain of UNC5B recapitulated specific Notch-regulated phenotypes. UNC5B expression inhibited endothelial migration and proliferation and was required for stabilization of endothelial junctions in response to shear stress. Loss of UNC5B partially or wholly blocked the ability of Notch activation to regulate these endothelial cell behaviors. In the developing mouse retina, endothelial-specific loss of UNC5B led to excessive vascularization, including increased vascular outgrowth, density, and branchpoint count. These data indicate that Notch signaling upregulates UNC5B as an effector protein to control specific endothelial cell behaviors and inhibit angiogenic growth.
Robust diagnosis and meta visualizations of plant diseases through deep neural architecture with explainable AI
Authors: Natarajan Sasikaladevi , Chakrabarti Prasun , Margala Martin
Published: June 2024

Deep learning has emerged as a highly effective and precise method for classifying images. The presence of plant diseases poses a significant threat to food security. However, accurately identifying these diseases in plants is challenging due to limited infrastructure and techniques. Fortunately, the recent advancements in deep learning within the field of computer vision have opened up new possibilities for diagnosing plant pathology. Detecting plant diseases at an early stage is crucial, and this research paper proposes a deep convolutional neural network model that can rapidly and accurately identify plant diseases. Given the minimal variation in image texture and color, deep learning techniques are essential for robust recognition. In this study, we introduce a deep, explainable neural architecture specifically designed for recognizing plant diseases. Fine-tuned deep convolutional neural network is designed by freezing the layers and adjusting the weights of learnable layers. By extracting deep features from a down sampled feature map of a fine-tuned neural network, we are able to classify these features using a customized K-Nearest Neighbors Algorithm. To train and validate our model, we utilize the largest standard plant village dataset, which consists of 38 classes. To evaluate the performance of our proposed system, we estimate specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, and AUC. The results demonstrate that our system achieves an impressive maximum validation accuracy of 99.95% and an AUC of 1, making it the most ideal and highest-performing approach compared to current state-of-the-art deep learning methods for automatically identifying plant diseases.
Tunable optical properties of isoreticular UiO-67 MOFs for photocatalysis: a theoretical study
Authors: Treto-Suárez Manuel A. , Hidalgo-Rosa Yoan , Saavedra-Torres Mario , Koivisto Bryan D. , Mena Ulecia Karel , Páez-Hernández Dayán , Zarate Ximena , Schott Eduardo
Published: June 2024

A theoretical computational protocol was performed to understand the optical properties, the deactivation mechanisms, and the substituent effect for a photocatalytic MOF-based system.
Hydroxopalladium(iv) complexes prepared using oxygen or hydrogen peroxide as oxidants
Authors: Behnia Ava , Fard Mahmood A. , Blacquiere Johanna M. , Puddephatt Richard J.
Published: June 2024

Rare hydroxopalladium(iv) complexes have been isolated and structurally characterized.
Correction: Harnessing an emissive guanine surrogate to design small-molecule fluorescent chemosensors of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT)
Authors: Fillion Alexandra , Franco Pinto Jaime , Granzhan Anton
Published: June 2024

Correction for ‘Harnessing an emissive guanine surrogate to design small-molecule fluorescent chemosensors of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT)’ by Alexandra Fillion et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2022, 20, 1888–1892, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2OB00208F.
Correction: Time-dependent phosphorescence color of carbon dots in boric acid matrix for dynamic information encryption
Authors: Wang Xiaopeng , Xie Shixin , Tao Liangliang , Ouyang Mengting , Sun Xiangying
Published: June 2024

Correction for ‘Time-dependent phosphorescence color of carbon dots in boric acid matrix for dynamic information encryption’ by Xiaopeng Wang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2024, 12, 5849–5855, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4TC00431K.
Extended CO(1–0) survey and ammonia measurements towards two bubble regions in W5
Authors: Shen Hailiang , Esimbek Jarken , Henkel Christian , Xu Ye , Zhou Jianjun , Li Dalei , He Yuxin , Tang Xindi , Wu Gang , Komesh Toktarkhan , Tursun Kadirya , Zhou Dongdong , Imanaly Ernar , Berdikhan Dilda
Published: June 2024

The feedback effect of massive stars can either accelerate or inhibit star formation activity within molecular clouds. Studying the morphology of molecular clouds near W5 offers an excellent opportunity to examine this feedback effect. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the W5 complex using the Purple Mountain Observatory 13.7 m millimeter telescope. This survey includes 12CO, 13CO, and C18O (J = 1 − 0), with a sky coverage of 6.6 deg2 (136.0° < l < 138.75°, 0° < b < 2.4°). Furthermore, we performed simultaneous observations of the NH3 (1,1) and NH3 (2,2) lines in the four densest star-forming regions of W5, using the 26 m radio telescope of the Xinjiang Astronomy Observatory (XAO). Our analysis of the morphological distribution of the molecular clouds, distribution of high-mass young stellar objects (HMYSOs), 13CO/C18O abundance ratio, and the stacked average spectral line distribution at different 8 μm thresholds provide compelling evidence of triggering. Within the mapped region, we identified a total of 212 molecular clumps in the 13CO cube data using the astrodendro algorithm. Remarkably, approximately 26.4% (56) of these clumps demonstrate the potential to form massive stars and 42.9% (91) of them are gravitationally bound. Within clumps that are capable of forming high-mass stars, there is a distribution of class I YSOs, all located in dense regions near the boundaries of the HII regions. The detection of NH3 near the most prominent cores reveals moderate kinetic temperatures and densities (as CO). Comparing the Tkin and Tex values reveals a reversal in trends for AFGL 4029 (higher Tex and lower Tkin) and W5-W1, indicating the inadequacy of optically thick CO for dense region parameter calculations. Moreover, a comparison of the intensity distributions between NH3 (1,1) and C18O (1–0) in the four densest region reveals a notable depletion effect in AFGL 4029, characterised by a low Tkin (9 K) value and a relatively high NH3 column density, 2.5 × 1014 cm−2. By classifying the 13CO clumps as: “feedback,” “non-feedback,” “outflow,” or “non-outflow” clumps, we observe that the parameters of the “feedback” and “outflow” clumps exhibit variations based on the intensity of the internal 8 μm flux and the outflow energy, respectively. These changes demonstrate a clear linear correlation, which distinctly separate them from the parameter distributions of the “non-feedback” and “non-outflow” clumps, thus providing robust evidence to support a triggering scenario.
Faraday moments of the Southern Twenty-centimeter All-sky Polarization Survey (STAPS)
Authors: Raycheva N. , Haverkorn M. , Ideguchi S. , Stil J.M. , Sun X. , Han J.L. , Carretti E. , Gao X.Y. , Bracco A. , Clark S.E. , Dickey J.M. , Gaensler B.M. , Hill A. , Landecker T. , Ordog A. , Seta A. , Tahani M. , Wolleben M.
Published: June 2024

Faraday tomography of broadband radio polarization surveys enables us to study magnetic fields and their interaction with the interstellar medium (ISM). Such surveys include the Global Magneto-Ionic Medium Survey (GMIMS), which covers the northern and southern hemispheres at sim 300--1800 MHz. In this work, we used the GMIMS High Band South (1328--1768 MHz), also named the Southern Twenty-centimeter All-sky Polarization Survey (STAPS), which observes the southern sky at a resolution of 18arcmin . To extract the key parameters of the magnetized ISM from STAPS, we computed the Faraday moments of the tomographic data cubes. These moments include the total polarized intensity, the mean Faraday depth weighted by the polarized intensity, the weighted dispersion of the Faraday spectrum, and its skewness. We compared the Faraday moments to those calculated over the same frequency range in the northern sky (using the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, DRAO), in a strip of $360 that overlaps with STAPS coverage. We find that the total polarized intensity is generally dominated by diffuse emission that decreases at longitudes of $l The Faraday moments reveal a variety of polarization structures. Low-intensity regions at high latitudes usually have a single Faraday depth component. Due to its insufficiently large frequency coverage, STAPS cannot detect Faraday thick structures. Comparing the Faraday depths from STAPS to total rotation measures from extragalactic sources suggests that STAPS frequencies are high enough that the intervening ISM causes depolarization to background emission at intermediate and high Galactic latitudes. Where they overlap, the STAPS and DRAO surveys exhibit broad correspondence but differ in polarized intensity by a factor of sim 1.8.