bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-strength elastomer separator for high-current-density-charging lithium metal batteries
Authors: Song Shufeng , Wei Fengkun , Zhang Ren , Savilov Serguei V. , Polu Anji Reddy , Singh Pramod K. , Hu Ning
Published: January 2025

Utilizing lithium metal as an anode in batteries has been expected to replace conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, the mechanical properties and electrochemical performance of current separators do not meet the requirements for practical applications of lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Here, we report an elastomer separator with an interconnected structure of plastic-crystal-embedded and garnet-conductor-regulated thermoplastic polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-r-butylene)-b-polystyrene elastomer integrated with the polyethylene matrix. The 14-micron-thick elastomer separators show a combination of excellent elongation of ∼115.2% and sufficiently high tensile strength of ∼56 MPa. The elastomer separators accommodate volume changes and block dendrites for high-current-density cycling of LMBs. As a demonstration, the elastomer separators enable stable operation of LMBs under stringent conditions, a practical high loading of 18 mg cm−2 LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) cathode at an extremely high charging/discharging current density of 1.8 mA cm−2, delivering a high reversible capacity of 164 mAh g−1 and capacity retention of 88% after 140 cycles.
Self-powered ultraviolet position-sensitive detectors based on PrNiO3/Nb-doped SrTiO3 p–n junctions
Authors: Wang Xianjie , Hu Chang , Zhang Lingli , Fu Qiang , Tao Lingling , Zhang Pengbo , Sui Yu , Song Bo
Published: January 2025

Position-sensitive detectors based on the lateral photovoltaic effect have been widely used in optical engineering for the measurement of position, distance, and angles. However, self-powered ultraviolet position-sensitive detectors with high sensitivity and fast response are still lacking due to the difficulty associated with the fabrication of p-type wide bandgap semiconductors, which hinders their further design and enhancement. Here, the influence of band structures and interfacial transport properties on the performance of self-powered ultraviolet position-sensitive detectors based on PrNiO3/Nb:SrTiO3p–n junctions is systematically investigated. Large position sensitivity and fast relaxation time of the lateral photovoltaic effect were observed up to 400 K in the perovskite-based ultraviolet position-sensitive detectors. Hall effect measurements revealed that the transport of photoexcited carriers occurs mainly through the interface of the PrNiO3/Nb:SrTiO3 junctions, resulting in a fast response and a stable photovoltaic effect. This study presents insights and avenues for designing self-powered perovskite oxide ultraviolet position-sensitive detectors with enhanced photoelectric performance.
Anti-reflective and luminescent GaAs/AlGaAs core–shell nanowires on Si wafer with 1 ns carrier lifetime up to 400 K
Authors: Minehisa Keisuke , Hashimoto Hidetoshi , Nakama Kaito , Kise Hiroto , Sato Shino , Takayama Junichi , Hiura Satoshi , Murayama Akihiro , Ishikawa Fumitaro
Published: January 2025

We investigated the structural and optical properties of GaAs/Al0.8Ga0.2As core–shell nanowires (NWs) grown on a 2-in. Si wafer. The NWs exhibit low reflectance (<2%) across the visible to near-infrared range, attributed to their complex structure, intrinsic GaAs absorption, and a uniform NW density of approximately 3 × 108 cm−2 with an average length of 5 μm. Optical analyses based on Kubelka–Munk transformation and Tauc plot revealed minimal deviation between the estimated bandgap and the photoluminescence (PL) peak position. Temperature-dependent PL measurements between 300 and 400 K showed a weak intensity reduction and a characteristic temperature of 170 K, indicating stable emission properties within this range. Time-resolved-PL measurements demonstrated carrier lifetimes exceeding 1 ns up to 400 K, with a surface recombination velocity comparable to high-quality GaAs/AlGaAs NWs. These findings provide key insights into the optical performance and thermal stability of the NWs, highlighting their potential for optoelectronic devices operating at elevated temperatures.
Effects of temperature on flame structures and local extinctions of swirl spray flames
Authors: Cai Xiao , Wang Jinshi , Su Limin , Wang Jinhua , Zhang Weijie , Chen Yi , Jin Di , Wu Yun , Huang Zuohua
Published: January 2025

The effects of air inlet temperature on the flame structures and the local extinctions of n-decane swirl spray flames at constant air flow velocity were clarified by using the simultaneous planar laser induced fluorescence measurements of OH and CH2O. Results show that the blowoff limit decreases 48% as the temperature increases from 298 to 473 K. The OH and the [CH2O] × [OH] overlap are mainly distributed near the shear layer, while a small amount of formaldehyde is also observed in the outer recirculation zone (ORZ), corresponding to the low-temperature reactions. The formaldehyde intensity in the ORZ varies non-monotonically with the temperature. The non-monotonic temperature dependence of the formaldehyde intensity is governed by the competition of the droplet evaporation rate and the initial droplet size. The local extinctions of swirl spray flames can be identified by the formation of holes or breaks in the OH branches together with the accumulation of formaldehyde. It suggests that the combination of OH and CH2O is a good indicator to predict the local extinctions. The probability of the local extinctions decreases gradually with the temperature. The locations of the local extinction move downstream from 333 to 423 K; however, the local extinctions occur frequently near the flame root at 473 K. It reveals that the local extinctions near the flame root are mainly associated with the cooling effect and the perturbation effect of the flame–droplet interactions at low temperature and at high temperature, respectively.
Indium alloying in
ε
-Ga2O3 for polarization and interfacial charge tuning
Authors: Wang Yan , Guan Yizhang , Zhang Chuang , Cao Jiahe , Chen Xuanyan , Ouyang Qiangqiang , Wong Yew Hoong , Hu Guofeng , Tan Chee Keong
Published: January 2025

Density functional theory was utilized to assess the influence of In alloying on the spontaneous (Psp) and piezoelectric (Ppe) polarization of ε-Ga2O3 heterostructures with In concentrations ranging from 0% to 50%. The analysis demonstrated a decrease in both Psp and Ppe with an increase in In concentration, described by the equations Psp = −9.5947x + 24.81 and Ppe = −0.6217x (where x represents the In concentration, with units in μC/cm2). Additionally, the polarization-induced two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density within ε-InGaO/ε-Ga2O3 heterostructures was examined using a one-dimensional Schrödinger–Poisson solver. An inverse correlation was observed between 2DEG density and epitaxial thickness across all undoped In-alloyed samples. Furthermore, achieving high 2DEG densities (exceeding 1013 cm−2) is significantly facilitated by n-type doping concentrations above 1017 cm−3 in ε-InGaO. These insights not only augment the understanding of polarization effects in ε-Ga2O3 heterostructures but also provide a strategic framework for enhancing 2DEG density in ε-Ga2O3-based devices, which offers significant potential for advancing ε-Ga2O3-based high electron mobility transistors for power and RF applications.
Flow control of blade-end oscillating jets on corner separation in a high-load compressor cascade
Authors: Yang Zonghao , Liu Bo , Mao Xiaochen , Wang Hejian , Chen Fei
Published: January 2025

Based on unsteady numerical simulation, the feasibility of utilizing a fluid oscillator to generate oscillating jets for relieving the compressor cascade's corner separation was investigated. First, at design incidence angle, the optimal jet position is located where corner separation is not fully developed (74% axial chord length). Jets at more upstream and downstream positions are less effective due to premature dissipation of jet effects and the occurrence of high corner losses, respectively. The effectiveness of separation control through jet injection increases with higher jet mass flow rates, and the scheme with 0.66% relative jet flow rate exhibits a wide effective jet position range. However, excessively low jet flow rates are sensitive to jet position selection, while excessively high jet flow rates lead to significant mixing losses, resulting in high overall field losses and reduced engineering applicability. Second, the optimal jet scheme remains consistent at both design and high incidence angles and exhibits effective control at other off-design incidence angles. Finally, the oscillating jet suppresses the spanwise development of wall vortex and passage vortex within the blade passage by injecting high-momentum flow. Moreover, proper orthogonal decomposition analysis indicates that the oscillating jet redistributes the modal energy of the original flow field, exciting the vortex structures into high-frequency, small-scale oscillations at the jet frequency. Meanwhile, the oscillating jet primarily facilitates momentum exchange through strong mixing with passage vortex, wall vortex, and concentrated separation vortex, ultimately mitigating corner separation and reducing corner loss.
Enhanced sampling of robust molecular datasets with uncertainty-based collective variables
Authors: Tan Aik Rui , Dietschreit Johannes C. B. , Gómez-Bombarelli Rafael
Published: January 2025

Generating a dataset that is representative of the accessible configuration space of a molecular system is crucial for the robustness of machine-learned interatomic potentials. However, the complexity of molecular systems, characterized by intricate potential energy surfaces, with numerous local minima and energy barriers, presents a significant challenge. Traditional methods of data generation, such as random sampling or exhaustive exploration, are either intractable or may not capture rare, but highly informative configurations. In this study, we propose a method that leverages uncertainty as the collective variable (CV) to guide the acquisition of chemically relevant data points, focusing on regions of configuration space where ML model predictions are most uncertain. This approach employs a Gaussian Mixture Model-based uncertainty metric from a single model as the CV for biased molecular dynamics simulations. The effectiveness of our approach in overcoming energy barriers and exploring unseen energy minima, thereby enhancing the dataset in an active learning framework, is demonstrated on alanine dipeptide and bulk silica.
Temperature crossovers in the specific heat of amorphous magnets
Authors: Ochoa Héctor
Published: January 2025

It is argued that the specific heat of amorphous solids at low temperatures can be understood to arise from a single branch of collective modes. The idea is illustrated in a model of a correlated spin glass for which magnetic anisotropies are present but they are completely frustrated by disorder. The low-energy spectrum is dominated by soft modes corresponding to propagating Halperin–Saslow spin waves at short wavelengths, evolving into a relaxation and a diffusion mode at the long wavelengths. The latter gives rise to an anomalous temperature behavior of the specific heat at T≪T∗: C∼T in d=3 solids, C∼Tln⁡(1/T) in d=2. The temperature scale T∗ has a non-trivial dependence on the damping coefficient describing magnetic friction, which can be related to fluctuations of the spin-torque operator via a Green–Kubo formula. Halperin–Saslow modes can also become diffusive due to disclination motion (plastic flow). Extensions of these ideas to other systems (including disordered phases of correlated electrons in cuprate superconductors and of moiré superlattices) are discussed.
GaOx interlayer-originated hole traps in SiO2/p-GaN MOS structures and their suppression by low-temperature gate dielectric deposition
Authors: Hara Masahiro , Kobayashi Takuma , Nozaki Mikito , Watanabe Heiji
Published: January 2025

In this study, we investigated the impact of SiO2 deposition temperature during plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition on the generation of fast hole traps, which cause surface potential pinning, in p-type GaN MOS structures. The thickness of a gallium oxide (GaOx) layer at the SiO2/GaN interface was estimated and correlated with the hole trap generation. The 200 °C-deposited SiO2/GaN MOS structures exhibited a smaller amount of fast hole traps and a thinner GaOx interlayer than the 400 °C-deposited samples. In the 200 °C-deposited samples, annealing at a temperature below 600 °C did not lead to an increase in the fast hole trap and GaOx layer thickness, while the amount of fast traps significantly increased just after 800 °C-annealing in O2 ambient, accompanied by the growth of the GaOx interlayer. These findings suggest that the major origin of fast hole traps in SiO2/GaN MOS structures is a thermally induced defect existing inside a GaOx interlayer and that the low-temperature SiO2 deposition is effective in reducing the fast traps.
A cell structure implementation of the multigrid method for the two-dimensional diffusion equation
Authors: Choi Yongho , Hwang Youngjin , Kwak Soobin , Ham Seokjun , Jyoti  , Kim Hyundong , Kim Junseok
Published: January 2025

To solve the two-dimensional diffusion equation using the finite difference method, we propose a simple MATLAB implementation of the multigrid method. The diffusion equation plays a fundamental role in modeling many significant physical phenomena and is ubiquitous in many governing equations. Some examples include the reaction–diffusion equations, the convection–diffusion equations, and others. These equations often lack analytical solutions or pose extreme challenges in finding them. Therefore, numerical techniques are indispensable for obtaining practical and accurate approximations for these equations. The multigrid method is known for its computational efficiency and effectiveness as an iterative technique for solving the discretized diffusion equation. Due to its popularity, the multigrid method has been implemented in several programming languages, such as Python, Java, C++, C, Fortran, and others. However, it is not easy for beginners to understand the implementation of the multigrid method due to its complex data structures and recursive routines. To resolve these difficulties, we develop a straightforward MATLAB implementation of the two-dimensional diffusion equation using a cell structure in MATLAB. This work provides an accessible and efficient framework for understanding and applying the multigrid method, thereby simplifying its implementation for researchers and practitioners.
Enhanced tunnel magnetoresistance of Fe/MgGa2O4/Fe(001) magnetic tunnel junctions by interface-tuning with atomic-scale MgO insertion layers
Authors: Sihombing Rombang Rizky , Scheike Thomas , Uzuhashi Jun , Ohkubo Tadakatsu , Wen Zhenchao , Mitani Seiji , Sukegawa Hiroaki
Published: January 2025

We demonstrate a significant effect of atomic-scale MgO insertion layers on the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) in epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) using a small bandgap oxide MgGa2O4. An enhanced TMR ratio of 151% at room temperature (resistance area product, RA: 23 kΩ ⋅ μm2) and 291% at 5 K (RA: 26 kΩ ⋅ μm2) were observed using 0.3 nm MgO insertion layers at the bottom and top barrier interfaces in Fe/MgGa2O4/Fe(001) MTJs with a total barrier thickness of 2.3 nm. The TMR showed a strong MgO thickness dependence. Microstructure analyses revealed that after MgO insertion, a homogeneous rock-salt structured Mg0.55Ga0.45O(001) barrier is formed, which differs from the nominal spinel crystal MgGa2O4. Elemental mapping of the MTJ showed that Ga diffusion into the adjacent Fe can be effectively suppressed while maintaining perfect lattice-matching at the Fe/barrier interfaces, thereby improving effective tunneling spin polarization through the barrier. The RA of the Mg0.55Ga0.45O (2.3 nm) MTJ is smaller than that of a comparable MgAl2O4 barrier (2.3 nm), thanks to the lower barrier height of the Mg0.55Ga0.45O as confirmed by the current–voltage characteristics.
Thermal expansion and thermodynamic properties of Janus WSSe monolayer: A first-principles study
Authors: Cao Fengli , Qiu Xiaodong , Chi Shengqi , Liu Gang
Published: January 2025

Materials with Janus structure play an important role in the emerging family of 2D materials. In this paper, based on a quasi-harmonic approach, the elastic, thermal expansion, and related thermodynamic properties of Janus WSSe monolayer are investigated by using first-principles calculations. For comparison, WS2 and WSe2 monolayers are studied as well. The linear thermal expansion coefficients of the three monolayers exhibit isotropy as their isotropic structures. All three monolayers show negative thermal expansion behavior at low temperatures (T < 30 K), with very small magnitudes. The value of the largest magnitude of negative thermal expansion is −0.376 × 10−6 K−1, contributed by the Janus WSSe monolayer. The linear thermal expansion coefficients also change from negative to positive as the temperature increases. This is consistent with macroscopic Grüneisen parameters. Remarkably negative values of the macroscopic Grüneisen parameter directly lead to negative thermal expansion at low temperatures. The linear thermal expansion coefficient of Janus WSSe is between those of WS2 and WSe2. The 2D bulk modulus has an important effect on the thermal expansion of three monolayers.
Inference of Onsager coefficient from microscopic simulations by machine learning
Authors: Zhang Kaihua , Qi Shuanhu , Ren Yongzhi , Zhou Jiajia , Jiang Ying
Published: January 2025

Dynamic density functional theory (DDFT) is a fruitful approach for modeling polymer dynamics, benefiting from its multiscale and hybrid nature. However, the Onsager coefficient, the only free parameter in DDFT, is primarily derived empirically, limiting the accuracy and broad application of DDFT. Herein, we propose a machine learning-based, bottom-up workflow to directly extract the Onsager coefficient from molecular simulations, circumventing partly heuristic assumptions in traditional approaches. In this workflow, the Onsager coefficient is derived from the proposed DDFT-informed ordinary differential equation network, trained to replicate density evolution observed in Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations. We validate our method by studying the lamellar transition in symmetric diblock copolymer melts, where the DDFT model with the extracted Onsager coefficient precisely reproduces both the density evolution and interface narrowing predicted by BD simulations, thereby demonstrating the reliability of the present scheme. Meanwhile, our studies reveal the strong relevance of the Onsager coefficient with dynamic processes and identify the explicit connection between dynamic correlations, characterized by the correlation strength and correlation length, and the system parameters, e.g., the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter. We found that far from the transition point, the correlation that transmits the thermodynamic force into a density current is localized and strong, while close to the transition point, it becomes long-ranged but weak. Our approach aims to develop a more generalized framework to bridge more refined particle-based simulations to more coarse-grained field-based calculations, and the insights gained by using our approach could be extended to other non-equilibrium systems in polymer sciences.
Dual-stream gas targets for a point source of vacuum and extreme ultraviolet radiation supported by focused electromagnetic radiation
Authors: Sidorov A. V. , Veselov A. P. , Vodopyanov A. V.
Published: January 2025

The article presents the results of visualization of two-stream gas targets for a point source of vacuum ultraviolet and extreme ultraviolet radiation. Measurements of the gas concentration spatial distribution were carried out using a Michelson interferometer. It is shown that adding a light gas to the peripheral channel significantly moves the region of breakdown concentration of injected gas through the central channel away from the nozzle, while maintaining the overall gas flow and background pressure.
Structure parameter modification of stress limiter in k − ω
shear stress turbulence model for high-speed flows with shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction
Authors: Zhu Linyang , Sun Dong , Guo Qilong , Yuan Xianxu
Published: January 2025

For some high-speed separated flows featured by shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction (SWTBLI), the k−ω shear stress model (SST) tends to overestimate the size of the separation bubble while the baseline model (BSL) tends to underestimate. The constant value of the structure parameter in the stress limiter is one of the important reasons for the discrepancy of the SST model. Therefore, it is recommended that the structure parameter should be taken as the variable. In this work, we analyze the distribution of the interested turbulent variables and quantify the uncertainty of the results of the SST model near the onset of the SWTBLI. The constant structure parameter is modified by introducing the correlation, which is the function of the non-dimensional pressure gradient. The distribution of the correction factors shows that it essentially achieves a dynamic weighting of the BSL model and the SST model. Several flows over the flat plates with impinging shock wave, ramp, and cylinder-flare are simulated with different turbulent models. The results show that the correction factor effectively increases the structure parameter of the interaction region in the boundary layer and reduces the sensitivity of the SST model to the adverse pressure gradient. Correspondingly, the predicted separation location moves downstream. Compared with the results predicted by the SST model and BSL model, the pressure and skin friction coefficients at the wall predicted by the modified SST model overall agree better with the high-fidelity simulation or experimental data, which validates the proposed correction factor.
Effects of side ratio on wind load characteristics on high-rise building
Authors: Chen Fubin , Zhu Yuzhe , Gu Ziqi , Zhao Yun , Li Yi , Shu Zhenru
Published: January 2025

This study investigates the impact of varying side ratios (SR) on wind loads in high-rise buildings using wind tunnel tests and large eddy simulations. It assesses surface wind load by analyzing static three-component force coefficients and shape factors across different SRs. The results show that the model with D/B = 0.5 exhibits the largest mean and r.m.s drag forces, while the model with square cross section (D/B = 1) experiences the lowest torque. Meanwhile, the model with D/B = 0.5 reveals strong vertical but relatively weak horizontal wind pressure correlation. In addition, models with large SRs exhibit altered wind pressure mechanisms due to the occurrence of flow reattachment and secondary separation, resulting in lower side-surface correlation compared to small SR models.
Instability mechanism and a fractal theory-based relative permeability model of immiscible two-phase displacement in rough fractures
Authors: Sun Hao , Xiong Feng , Wang Shuyu , Wu Zhijun , Guo Lei
Published: January 2025

The two-phase displacement in rock fractures is a critical scientific challenge in deep energy development projects, characterized by the intricate and dynamic flow patterns resulting from the complex fracture geometry and mutual interference between the two-phase fluids. The present study involves the construction of a three-dimensional rough fracture fine model using the fast Fourier transform and Gaussian distribution method. The phase field-finite element method is employed to simulate the dynamic displacement of water-oil flow and the evolution of the water-oil interface, aiming to investigate the impact of roughness, aperture, and wettability on the viscous fingering pattern observed in rough fractures. The numerical results indicate that the immiscible two-phase displacement presents a viscous fingering pattern at a high flow rate. Moreover, the greater the roughness is, the higher the number of fingering is, and the more volatile the change in displacement velocity is. The width of the wet-phase flow channel increases proportionally with the fracture aperture increasing. Furthermore, the morphology of immiscible two-phase interface within fractures is also influenced by the wetting angle, and the fingering, bifurcation, and crushing phenomena appear in the oil-wet state with the strong displacement interface instability. Finally, a fractal model of relative permeability for waterflooding in rough fractures is proposed based on the cubic law of flow and fractal dimension of aperture distribution, which has been validated through comparison with numerical results.
Direct lysine dimethylation of IRF3 by the methyltransferase SMYD3 attenuates antiviral innate immunity
Authors: Wang Zixuan , Chen Xiaoyun , Zhu Chunchun , Fan Sijia , Tang Jinhua , Deng Hongyan , Sun Xueyi , Liu Xing , Xiao Wuhan
Published: January 2025

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is the key transcription factor in the type I IFN signaling pathway, whose activation is regulated by multiple posttranslational modifications. Here, we identify SMYD3, a lysine methyltransferase, as a negative regulator of IRF3. SMYD3 interacts with IRF3 and catalyzes the dimethylation of IRF3 at lysine 39. This modification reduces IRF3 phosphorylation, dimerization, and subsequent nuclear translocation, leading to the inhibition of downstream type I interferon production. In addition,
Smyd3
-deficient mice are more resistant to RNA and DNA viral infections. Zebrafish lacking
smyd3
or treated with the inhibitor BCI121 are also more resistant to viral infection. Our findings reveal a role for
SMYD3
in the regulation of antiviral innate immunity and provide insight into a specific modulation of IRF3 that affects its activation.
CFTR dictates monocyte adhesion by facilitating integrin clustering but not activation
Authors: Younis Doulathunnisa Ahamed , Marosvari Mason , Liu Wei , Pulikkot Sunitha , Cao Ziming , Zhou Beiyan , Vella Anthony T. , McArdle Sara , Hu Liang , Chen Yunfeng , Gan Wenqi , Yu Ji , Bruscia Emanuela M. , Fan Zhichao
Published: January 2025

Monocytes are critical in controlling tissue infections and inflammation. Monocyte dysfunction contributes to the inflammatory pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF) caused by CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations, making CF a clinically relevant disease model for studying the contribution of monocytes to inflammation. Although CF monocytes exhibited adhesion defects, the precise mechanism is unclear. Herein, superresolution microscopy showed that an integrin clustering but not an integrin activation defect determines the adhesion defect in CFTR-deficient monocytes, challenging the existing paradigm emphasizing an integrin activation defect in CF patient monocytes. We further found that the clustering defect is accompanied by defects in CORO1A membrane recruitment, actin cortex formation, and CORO1A engagement with integrins. Complementing canonical studies of leukocyte adhesion focusing on integrin activation, we highlight the importance of integrin clustering in cell adhesion and report that integrin clustering and activation are distinctly regulated, warranting further investigation for selective targeting in therapeutic strategy design involving leukocyte-dependent inflammation.
Dual modes of DNA N
6
-methyladenine maintenance by distinct methyltransferase complexes
Authors: Wang Yuanyuan , Nan Bei , Ye Fei , Zhang Zhe , Yang Wentao , Pan Bo , Wei Fan , Duan Lili , Li Haicheng , Niu Junhua , Ju Aili , Liu Yongqiang , Wang Dantong , Zhang Wenxin , Liu Yifan , Gao Shan
Published: January 2025

Stable inheritance of DNA N
6
-methyladenine (6mA) is crucial for its biological functions in eukaryotes. Here, we identify two distinct methyltransferase (MTase) complexes, both sharing the catalytic subunit AMT1, but featuring AMT6 and AMT7 as their unique components, respectively. While the two complexes are jointly responsible for 6mA maintenance methylation, they exhibit distinct enzymology, DNA/chromatin affinity, genomic distribution, and knockout phenotypes. AMT7 complex, featuring high MTase activity and processivity, is connected to transcription-associated epigenetic marks, including H2A.Z and H3K4me3, and is required for the bulk of maintenance methylation. In contrast, AMT6 complex, with reduced activity and processivity, is recruited by PCNA to initiate maintenance methylation immediately after DNA replication. These two complexes coordinate in maintenance methylation. By integrating signals from both replication and transcription, this mechanism ensures the faithful and efficient transmission of 6mA as an epigenetic mark in eukaryotes.
You Care So I Care: How do Horses Perceive Equine-Assisted Intervention?
Authors: M Grandgeorge , L Dornic , A Beylie , S Amiot Girard , S, Henry , C Rochais
Published: January 2025

The popularity of equine-assisted intervention (EAI) is growing rapidly. With greater numbers of horses used in this field, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how horses perceive this type of “work.” This study aimed to describe how horses respond to EAI through detailed observation of their behaviours in EAI sessions when compared to riding school (RS) sessions. Horses’ behaviours, as well as ears and neck postures, were measured using ethological methods in 5 horses (1 female, and 4 males, aged 21 ± 1 years old) from the same riding school on 4 EAI and 4 RS sessions. Horses and riders’ behaviours were videotaped and each horse served as their own control. Our results revealed differences between the two types of sessions. Riders in EAI pulled more on the reins and bounced more in the saddle compared to riders in RS. Horses spent more time with backward ears in EAI and high neck postures in RS. Horses showed more discomfort behaviours such as head and tail movements in EAI compared to RS. This case study showed the importance of observing detailed behaviours as indicators of horses’ internal state. It suggests that both EAI and RS induce discomfort in horses during sessions but in different ways. Further studies are needed to better understand how horses perceive EAI and examine whether EAI can negatively impact their chronic well-being.

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© The Authors 2025
Digging Deeper: Understanding the Calf Burials Behaviour among Asian Elephants in North Bengal
Authors: Roy Akashdeep , Kaswan Parveen
Published: January 2025

This case study, inspired by the work of Kaswan and Roy, provides critical insights into the thanatological behaviour of elephants, specifically in the North Bengal landscape. It serves as an important resource for private sanctuary managers, elephant handlers, and conservationists worldwide, raising awareness of elephants’ intelligence, emotional depth, and strong bonds with their herd members. The study reveals a unique behaviour among elephants in a specific area, where they bury deceased calves in 2-foot-deep irrigation drains within tea gardens. This region, featuring fragmented forests, tea estates, and small towns, serves as a natural corridor for elephants. The calves are buried in a ‘leg-upright’ position, indicative of how the herd uses their trunks and legs to manipulate the bodies. Two calves died from fungal infections, while three faced respiratory failure, yet all were buried similarly. Contusion marks suggest the herd dragged the calves over a distance before burial, highlighting their collective handling of the bodies. This burial behaviour is likely driven by several factors, including the particularly strong mother-calf bond seen in elephants which may motivate the herd to engage in mourning and burial. The unique environmental conditions in North Bengal, combined with the elephants’ complex social and emotional behaviours, create a remarkable example of interspecies empathy and care, offering valuable lessons for global conservation and elephant management efforts.

Information

© The Authors 2025
Classical cell cycle kinase limits tubulin polyglutamylation and cilium stability
Authors: Liu Xiaoliang , Ge Xuecai
Published: January 2025

Tubulin polyglutamylation is essential for maintaining cilium stability and function, and defective tubulin polyglutamylation is associated with ciliopathies. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying proper axonemal polyglutamylation remains unclear. He et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202405170) discovered that Cdk7/Cdk6/FIP5 phosphorylation cascade controls the ciliary import of tubulin glutamylases, thereby modulating axoneme polyglutamylation and ciliary signaling.
Comment on: ‘Modulation instability and extraction of fractional optical solitons in the presence of generalized Kudryashov’s law and dual form of non-local nonlinearity’
Authors: Tchepemen Nathan , Kengne Emmanuel
Published: January 2025

The present comment points out all the shortcomings that occurred during the modulational instability analysis in the recent work published by Chahlaoui et al [Phys. Scr. 99 075226] and then methodically presents the investigation of the modulational instability of the steady-state solution of their model equation in the special case of time derivatives in the ordinary sense.
The Unknowns of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background Hinder New Physics Searches
Authors: MacDonald Miller , Martínez-Miravé Pablo , Tamborra Irene
Published: January 2025

Neutrinos traveling over cosmic distances are ideal probes of new physics. We leverage on the approaching detection of the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) to explore whether, if the DSNB showed departures from theoretical predictions, we could attribute such modifications to new physics unequivocally. In order to do so, we focus on visible neutrino decay.
Many of the signatures from neutrino decay are degenerate with astrophysical unknowns entering the DSNB modeling. Next generation neutrino observatories, such as Hyper-Kamiokande, JUNO, as well as DUNE, will set stringent limits on a neutrino lifetime over mass ratio τ/m ∼ 109–1010 s eV-1 at 90% C.L., if astrophysical uncertainties and detector backgrounds were to be fully under control.
However, if the lightest neutrino is almost massless and the neutrino mass ordering is normal, constraining visible decay will not be realistically possible in the coming few decades. We also assess the challenges of distinguishing among different new physics scenarios (such as visible decay, invisible decay, and quasi-Dirac neutrinos), all leading up to similar signatures in the DSNB.
This work shows that the DSNB potential for probing new physics strongly depends on an improved understanding of the experimental backgrounds at next generation neutrino observatories as well as progress in the DSNB modeling.
Conclusion
Authors: Gallo Daniele
Published: January 2025

This conclusion chapter provides an overview of the arguments laid out in the preceding chapters of Direct Effect in EU Law. Drawing together the intertwined threads running throughout the book, the author sets out ten distinct arguments about the past, present, and future of direct effect, including possible recommendations for the CJEU. Collectively, the chapters offer solutions to strengthen the ability of direct effect to pursue its twofold purpose: safeguarding individuals’ rights and ensuring the (private) accurate enforcement of EU law.
Setting the Stage
Authors: Palomares-Salas Claudio
Published: January 2025

This introductory chapter offers a rationale for studying Mexican Canto Nuevo. It surveys relevant scholarship on the movement and the pan-Latin American Nueva Canción, and outlines the book’s contents.
Introduction
Authors: Bahri Amrita
Published: January 2025

This chapter introduces the topic, scope, and structure of the book. After building an initial understanding of the emerging importance of inclusive trade and the role of women in it, the chapter provides a review of the existing literature on trade and sustainable and inclusive development. That review shows how the book seeks to fill a major gap in feminist analysis of international law by adding in the angle of trade law and policy. The chapter then clarifies the nature, scope, objectives, and focus of the book, in addition to the benefits its readers will obtain. Following this, the introductory chapter explains the most fundamental typologies used in the book, including ‘gender mainstreaming’ and ‘gender responsiveness’ and clarifies the scope of other terminologies such as ‘gender equality’ and ‘gender’. The chapter makes clear that the book is not about ‘gender equality’ as a whole; it is about women and their empowerment through trade agreements. Hence, whenever terms such as ‘gender’ or ‘gender equality’ are used in the book, they intend to refer to cisgender as well as transgender women and their characteristics, norms, behaviours, and roles. The chapter concludes with reflections on the structure of the book, providing a bird’s-eye view of all chapters and their contents to its readers.
Barriers that Impede Women’s Economic Empowerment
Authors: Bahri Amrita
Published: January 2025

This chapter provides an initial conceptual understanding of the underlying expressions used throughout the book including ‘women empowerment’ and ‘gender equality’. It then provides a discussion on how internal and external barriers can impede women’s economic empowerment with the help of country-specific examples from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. These discussions on barriers are neatly divided in three different categories: barriers within borders, barriers across borders, and barriers at borders. The chapter provides a useful entry point as it presents to readers a concrete contextual background on barriers women face before unfolding other chapters that seek to explore how trade policies can help women in overcoming these barriers. The chapter also provides reflections on why women should not be considered as a homogenous group, as women in their different conditions and in the multiplicity of their roles (such as indigenous women, women with disabilities, transgender women, and others) may have different needs and barriers to deal with.
Trade and Women
Authors: Bahri Amrita
Published: January 2025

Women’s economic empowerment and international trade share an intricate and complex relationship as the former can be enhanced through an effective regulation of the latter. This relation is often described as a ‘bi-directional relationship’ as, in addition to the impact international trade can have on women, the empowerment of women can also have a significant impact on international trade. This chapter prepares and clarifies the bi-directional relationship between trade policies and women’s empowerment. It first provides a discussion on how trade affects women as employees, entrepreneurs, and consumers and then explains how women’s empowerment can affect the competitiveness and productivity of trade. By doing so, it prepares a case for inclusive regulation of international trade.
Can WTO Laws and Institutions Empower Women?
Authors: Bahri Amrita
Published: January 2025

This chapter provides a discussion of the recent initiatives and developments in respect of trade and women empowerment within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, the chapter explains how the existing WTO rules and agreements may enhance women empowerment. It also puts forward proposals on additional endeavours WTO members can undertake to enhance the participation of women in international trade. With this focus, this chapter seeks to explore whether the WTO institutions and its rulebook are ready to regulate trade in a manner that can help minimize the negative repercussions trade liberalization and globalization can have on women. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion on the limitations that the WTO may face in delivering concrete negotiated outcomes relating to women’s concerns and the recent multilateral developments that reaffirm such limitations.
Hesitations and Pitfalls that Impede the Inclusion of Women’s Concerns in FTAs
Authors: Bahri Amrita
Published: January 2025

After assessing whether and how trade agreements can impact women in the previous chapter, this chapter provides a discussion on the hesitations that countries can face in using their trade agreements to achieve women empowerment goals and how these hesitations might deter such efforts in the context of trade policies. The chapter identifies eight possible hesitations that countries may have in advancing women’s concerns through trade agreements and it provides a discussion on each of these together with practical examples from several regions. These hesitations include fears of protectionism and cultural imperialism, under-representation of women in policymaking roles, lack of political will, sovereignty cost, cost and probability of compliance, and lack of understanding and data on trade and gender.
Self-care in social work: An imperative or beyond reach?
Authors: Rose Sarah , McCusker Pearse , Mitchell Mary , Roesch-Marsh Autumn , Jian Miao , Petrova Lora
Published: January 2025

In recent years, the self-care of social workers has become a focus for research and practice in recognition of the demands of the social work role. As part of a research project to explore ways to embed self-care into a social work degree programme at a Scottish university, a narrative literature review was undertaken to examine existing research on self-care for social work students and practitioners. This article reports on the findings from this review, including the multiplicity of ways in which self-care is defined and conceptualized, how it is practised by social work students and practitioners, and the evidence base for identified approaches to self-care. Broader conceptualizations of self-care are explored, which encompass philosophical constructions of the ‘self’ and the impact of social and cultural norms on self-identity. It is argued that a cultural shift is required in the conceptualization and practice of self-care in social work to include collective and political approaches alongside individual strategies thereby promoting the social justice and anti-oppressive aims of the social work profession. Connections between self-care and ethical practice are highlighted, and further reinforce the need for self-care to be an imperative in social work.
Narrow endemism of Dyckia (Bromeliaceae) species within a vegetative mosaic region in the Midwest Brazil: insights from the phylogeographic patterns
Authors: Aguiar-Melo Camila , Zanella Camila M , Paggi Gecele M , Hirsch Luiza D , Goetze Márcia , Bered Fernanda
Published: January 2025

The Brazilian region of Mato Grosso do Sul state, harbours a mosaic of vegetation and ecotones, being an environmentally heterogeneous area that includes different biomes alongside various geological formations. In addition to being conducive to diversification processes, this region provides an ideal habitat for Dyckia. We used genetic diversity and phylogeographic approaches to gain insights into the diversification process of five narrow-range plus one widespread Dyckia species endemic to such a particular region. For that, we sequenced two plastid markers and one nuclear region. The networks obtained revealed a pattern of structuring corresponding to species distributed along the eastern side of the Serra de Maracaju (MCJ), mostly highland environment, and species in the western of the MCJ, mostly in the lowlands. Furthermore, based on our phylogenetic haplotype tree, the core divergence of cpDNA Dyckia species began in the Neogene. Events such as pulses of Andean uplift, subsidence of the Pantanal, higher temperatures, less precipitation, and lower CO2 in the atmosphere, may favour the origin and diversification of certain plants, including Dyckia species. The results obtained here will contribute to understanding the evolutionary history of this genus as well as the midwest Brazilian region, which has been poorly studied.
Blood cortisol and faecal cortisol metabolite concentrations following an ACTH challenge in unanaesthetized brown bears (Ursus arctos)
Authors: Piñero Justin A , Jansen Heiko T , Robbins Charles T , Vincent Ellery P , Lafferty Diana J R
Published: January 2025

Faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs) are increasingly used to index physiological stress in wildlife. Cortisol and other stress hormones act to mobilize glucose, providing energy for the organism to respond to environmental perturbations. Cortisol, the predominant glucocorticoid (GC) in most mammals, is metabolized by the liver and excreted as FCMs. For FCMs to serve as a meaningful physiological index of stress in brown bears (Ursus arctos), we sought to quantify the relationship between blood cortisol and FCM concentrations. Consequently, we conducted an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge on nine unanaesthetized captive brown bears at the Washington State University Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center. We collected 10 ml of blood at 0, 3, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h post-injection to measure changes in blood cortisol concentrations. Faecal samples were collected between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm from 24 h prior to injection through 72 h post ACTH challenge. We found that FCM concentration was positively correlated with blood cortisol concentrations and that peak blood cortisol concentrations occurred between 3 and 6 h following an ACTH challenge, whereas FCMs peaked between 10 and 27 h after injection.
VviWRKY24 promotes β-damascenone biosynthesis by targeting VviNCED1 to increase abscisic acid in grape berries
Authors: Wei Yi , Wang Yachen , Meng Xiao , Yao Xuechen , Xia Nongyu , Zhang Huimin , Meng Nan , Duan Changqing , Pan Qiuhong
Published: January 2025

Norisoprenoids, which are produced by the cleavage of various carotenoids, are a class of volatile aroma compounds that widely distributed in plants. In wine, they represent a significant source of floral and fruity aromas. β-Damascenone is the most abundant and important norisoprenoid constituent in grape berries (Vitis vinifera L.) and wines. However, the regulatory mechanism of β-damascenone biosynthesis remains poorly understood. The present study has identified a WRKY transcription factor, VviWRKY24, as a key regulator of β-damascenone accumulation in grape berries. The results of overexpression and gene silencing assays in grape leaves, berries and calli demonstrated that VviWRKY24 altered the flow of norisoprenoid metabolism and influenced the composition ratio of norisoprenoids, particularly enhancing the levels of β-damascenone. The results of the RNA-seq, yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift and dual-luciferase assays provided confirmation that VviWRKY24 promoted abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis by directly upregulating the expression of VviNCED1. The increase in ABA content resulted in further induction of the expression of CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 4B (VviCCD4b) on β-damascenone metabolic pathway. These findings elucidate the upstream regulation of ABA and the promotion of ABA on the accumulation of β-damascenone in grapes. This study contributes to a novel understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of β-damascenone biosynthesis and provides a strategy for improving the aroma quality of grapes and wine.